We have reviewed reports of recent streetcar accidents and streetcar injuries from around the United States and Canada. It's evident that streetcars and streetcar tracks are inherently dangerous and cannot be made safe. Shared-street streetcars and streetcar tracks have caused numerous injuries to pedestrians and operators of all types of vehicles for over 100 years.
Based upon what's occurring in Toronto, Portland, Seattle, and elsewhere, Arlington would see hundreds of injuries once streetcar tracks were installed on Columbia Pike. Even bicycle riders who cross streetcar tracks at a 90 degree angle will slip if tracks are slippery. And Arlington's primary 'solution' to transportation problems is building more parking for non-resident commuters, and under wherever multi-unit residential buildings are constructed, then putting more residents on bicycles.
Who will pay for the accidents? Ultimately, insurers and taxpayers. Using Portland and Seattle as examples, local attorneys and law firms will represent bicyclists, motorists, pedestrians and others who are injured. Health insurers will pay for most injuries. How many low-wage part-time workers will be covered by national health insurance in 2014 is uncertain. Who will pay if a truck hits a streetcar, the streetcar derails, and there are dozens of injuries?
Planning Columbia Pike streetcar system has nothing to do with transportation and, like Rail to Dulles, is all about development and redevelopment. As appalling as the 'safety last' mentality of County Government is the greed of the out-of-state real estate trusts, consultants, and developers.
The legacy of current Arlington County Board will ultimately be moral responsibility for the injuries, property damage, and litigation arising from construction of an unnecessary shared-street streetcar system on Columbia Pike.
Cindy
23 comments:
Isn't traffic inherently dangerous? Cars kill hundreds of people each day. Not sure how a streetcar would be worse.
Why pays for accidents on the HOT Lanes - I-495? Something to know before Arlington County sells the Pike streetcar for $1 to Vornado.
Number of accidents if there were no shared street streetcar and BRT instead? No brainer. No tracks = no track-related accidents. Duh.
Go to bikeportland.org and notice the conspicuous ad by a personal injury law firm.
Who will pay for streetcar accidents? Certainly not the non-residents who make so-called "planning" decisions for Arlington residents.
Rather than spending 90% of it's time working on 21st Century transportation for the 90% of Arlington residents who need 21st Century alternatives, County Government spends 90% of it's time resurrecting 19th Century transportation - bicycles and streetcars - for the Yuptards and Biketards.
Let's not make the auto dealers unhappy by providing Seniors with low cost grocery delivery. Seniors might not buy or lease new cars.
It gets worse.
Politicians like Audrey Clement who are on a 'car free diet' and want to put everyone else on a 'car free diet' are always begging for rides everywhere to do everything.
County Staff who are tasked with putting Arlington residents on a 'car free diet' live in Spotsylvania County and drive everywhere to do everything.
Antonelli is correct. We are doomed.
Ultimately the entire Reagan-Hollywood-Hedo-Yuppie post-industrial social-economic infrastructure based on borrow-spend-borrow to fight Third World wars is going to collapse and it will make what's occurring in southern Europe right now look like a mild recession.
How many non-residents at 2100 are employed inflicting the County's "Arlington Residents Stop Driving So Non-Residents Can Drive in Arlington SOV" transportation program?
Jay Fi$ette drives everywhere in his Prius, except when he wants to be seen riding a bicycle, or when AVN is making a taxpaid-funded political commercial featuring Jay Fi$ette.
Think New York City headquartered Vornado cares? Seen any streetcar tracks in New York City?
County will sell the streetcar system to a LLC which you will have to sue if you are hurt by a streetcar or the tracks.
Safety Last? Mary Hynes is as bad as Zimmerman at WMATA, Blocked tunnel exits? Form a committee, hire consultants.
They have to do a HOT lanes thing with the streetcar system because after Peter Rousselot's report there is no say they will get anything from the Federal Transit Administration.
Local economy is totally based on warfighting in third world countries which provides the disposable income to fund all the hedo activities.
County Board will not have the $$$ to meet its commitments to special interests without give-away franchise deals with corporate cronies.
Assuming your health insurance won't pay for injuries involving streetcars and tracks you will have to hire a personal injury law firm and hope your attorney will prevail.
FYI, Vornado's law firm is headquartered in Baltimore and its local offices are in Tysons.
More de facto government of, by, and for non-residents.
Something like 90% of the really important decisions made by Arlington Government are made by people who are not Arlington residents.
Rubber-stamped by County Board members who are going to be around how much longer? Five years?
Bicycle advocacy groups in Toronto also run ads for personal injury law firms on their Web sites.
And Canada has a national health insurance system that covers everyone.
So what are the local (meaning Northern Virginia) bicycle advocacy groups doing about it?
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