(01-14-2016, 01:09 PM)clasher Wrote: Why not have a barrier on the left turn lane that comes down when a train approaches in that case, to at least keep the driver from turning into the train's path? Heavy rail seems to have the whole gate thing figured out and it seems to help reduce collisions.
Because this light rail is running lengthwise through an intersection, not crossing a street.
If you put down a barrier between your car and the tracks, you have now trapped opposing left-turning traffic on the tracks. Barriers on heavy rail crossings are only on the upstream side so you don't suffer this problem.
I may have misunderstood you. Upon reading it again, you propose a barrier on the traffic lane. Like an arm that comes down over the stop line? That wouldn't have my stated problem, and would suffer only from the problems of heavy rail crossing barriers.
That being said, our light rail is going to be much more frequent and short than heavy rail, so I wonder if the economics of it don't work out or something...