Many Voices, One Goal for Bus and Pedestrian Safety
I recently attended, and had the opportunity to be part of a panel of speakers, at the NYC MTA Bus Safety Symposium. A variety of topics were discussed regarding bus and pedestrian safety issues. What was obvious is we all have a common goal to provide the safest transit systems possible, in spite of the possibility of increasing bus/pedestrian and bus/cyclist collisions.
Louie Maiello・Director, Training Services, Transit Training Solutions (TTS).
MTA Chairman/CEO Thomas F. Prendergast at the symposium held in March.
Photo courtesy MTA_Patrick Cashman
I recently attended, and had the opportunity to be part of a panel of speakers, at the NYC MTA Bus Safety Symposium. A variety of topics were discussed regarding bus and pedestrian safety issues. What was obvious is we all have a common goal to provide the safest transit systems possible, in spite of the possibility of increasing bus/pedestrian and bus/cyclist collisions.
High- versus low-mounted mirrors, flat versus convex mirrors, A-Pillar construction, bus operator training, and pedestrian/cyclist responsibility were just part of what was discussed. It was refreshing to hear the openness of those who shared their many ideas and recommendations for the future.
The statistics that opened some eyes were what is stated by Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). The report states that a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. from 2010-2014, found there were an average of 35 pedestrian and seven bicyclist fatalities annually involving transit buses.
Also, according to FARS data, “the majority of pedestrians and bicyclists killed by being hit by a bus occurred when the vehicle was traveling in a straight line.” Here are the findings:
In 48% of pedestrian fatalities nationwide, the bus was going straight.
Some of us might be surprised that left turns was not number one on the list. Even more so, according to the data the buses were going straight! Yours truly was able to contribute with my opinions and most of you who follow my blogs or attended any of my speaking engagements can predict what I suggested:
A standardized new candidate bus operator training program is needed with a set number of days established for a candidate to either qualify or be dismissed from the program.
Classroom training would follow the “front-loaded behind-the-wheel portion” of basic skills curriculum to only those candidates that successfully complete the BDW driving skills portion first. This simple and cost-effective procedure will eliminate those from the training program that would not be in the program any longer to participate in classroom training.
The industry needs a more uniform curriculum that offers an opportunity for trainers instructors to be tracked on their decision making skills.
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Chief Training Officers and lead bus operator instructors along with bus design engineers should be given the opportunity to sit behind the wheel and drive a bus during the bus design development and testing phases.
Did you know that there are literally tens of millions of people worldwide with hearing loss, many of whom will use some form of public transit at some point?
Thirty-five years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the impact of this landmark piece of civil rights legislation cannot be overstated.
Safety, on-time performance, and customer experience are critical elements in intercity bus operations. But getting them right doesn’t come down to plans or protocols alone. It comes down to execution. How well your team performs on the ground, in real time, is what defines success.
With Data Privacy Day Jan. 28, I want to spotlight a critical challenge faced by service providers in the mass transit sector: managing personal information responsibly in an era of rapidly evolving privacy regulations.
Retrieving and reviewing data and video can be a cumbersome process for fleet managers. Each system or tool provides a piece of the puzzle, but seeing the complete picture requires tedious manual synchronization.
In today’s highly connected world, cybersecurity is of utmost importance, particularly for transportation agencies overseeing transit bus systems that rely increasingly on sophisticated technologies, including the use of data analytics in traffic signal networks, to manage and operate their systems.
In the daily hustle and bustle of city life, transit buses serve as the backbone of urban transportation, allowing millions of city dwellers to get from point A to point B each day reliably.
Thirty years ago, drivers not only had to drive the bus and navigate heavy traffic, but they were also responsible for tasks like supervising passenger loading and unloading, selling tickets, and providing passengers with various kinds of information, all while sitting in an often ill-fitting workstation.
