LRT horns task force

The LRT Horn Taskforce has met twice and has reached a temporary compromise with LRT management, while leaving the ultimate question of horn use unresolved. The issues are complex, but it is clear there are ways LRT can eliminate or mitigate the noise problem if they want to, while making the neighborhood track crossings even safer. The public needs to know that the cause for the impending horns and traffic congestion is the fact that the trains were designed, without public input, to preempt all other traffic, and operate at 55mph, all of which require the 90 decibel horns every four minutes. What only a few veterans of every possible LRT citizen committee will tell you is that LRT was required by law to make a thorough analysis of every safety issue, parking, and an environmental review a long time ago, but they didn't, to save costs. Every issue discussed in the task force now has been raised for years, in addition to traffic and parking concerns, and ultimately been ignored. Now their crows have come home to roost and they are under pressure to have the extreme measure of 90 decibel horns because they are very worried about liability for this high speed preemption of traffic—so worried they are talking about asking the Legislature to help them out of some liability. Not knowing how harsh the liability terms are, I can't comment on that. But you don't need a Mensa membership to see that they have created their own problems, and may still be planning to impose the noise pollution every four minutes, all day and into the night, only delaying it by eight months while they start up operation and get folks used to the trains.

The LRT Horn Task Force was led by Joe Marie, assisant general manager of LRT.

There was an average of six personnel from LRT at the meetings, including Peter McLaughlin, our Hennepin County Commissioner and a member of the powerful Lightrail Management Committee. Jennifer Lovaason of the Met Council spoke to the safety education efforts. In all, about twice as many other citizens participated, including Gary Schiff, 9th Ward representative to the City Council, and state Representative Wes Skoglund.

After two meetings of the "task force," where many suggestions were raised and a few were implemented, LRT says they will have an eight-month "Phase 1A" starting in April, when the trains preempting traffic at the 42nd, 35th and 32nd Street crossings will run at 40 mph so they will not use horns at all, except in the case of an emergency. This will help their liability while folks get used to using the rail system and working around it. There is a long record of folks saying they don't want this preemption at all, and LRT won't disclose who actually made that decision within their ranks, even when requested under the Minnesota Data Practices Act. So if they have to do it (which they don't; they could still seek funding for an elevated train section if there was political clout behind that), the no horn policy and 40 mph will sure be great! It only slows the run from the Minnehaha Tunnel to the warehouse district by one minute and 13 seconds. I think it should be permanent policy, out of consideration for those who live close by. There is a senior high-rise being built very close to the tracks as we speak. Do they even know what they're in for? Despite all the PR and years of debate, some folks right next to the line were still unaware until very recently that trains were coming at all, much less with constant, blaring horns, according to Jennifer Lovaason, in charge of publicizing safety education. This is just one more reason to keep the trains at a slower speed. Those in positions to decide—Gary Schiff and the Transportation Committee of the City Council, as well as the City Engineer and staff, should act responsibly. We will hold them accountable. And why am I still concerned? Read on, please.

Another plan the LRT proposed was Plan B, which I suspect will turn into the plan for Phase 1B, starting next year, when it's possible that people have become complacent about their lack of power over the LRT in their yards. Plan B speeds up the trains again to gain a minute and includes—you guessed it—90-95 decibel horns blowing every four minutes all day and into the night, with a possible shut-off around 9 or 10 p.m. (hours after the little ones were sent to try to sleep).

At the meeting, Wes Skoglund and others said both these plans were inadequate, but that discussion of the plans got sidetracked by lengthy discussion of new safety measures. It seemed we believed that increased safety on the rails would be enough to get the LRT to permanently abandon the horn idea, except for emergencies. (One would hope the conductors would feel free to use them whenever they really needed to. Doug Walker of Nokomis East raised the question: aside from protecting LRT from increased liability, just who are we trying to warn, here, with excessive horns? With the bells, lights, signage and vehicle safety bars at all crossings, drivers will be safe. It's really the rare pedestrian or bicyclist who may not be reached, particularly if they are inattentive and/or wearing a Walkman. Skoglund and others pointed out that constant horns are not necessarily going to prevent the random accident. Humans will tune out such a constant irritant, so that the ones who do risk the tracks despite visual warnings are most likely to be doing it on purpose, or else are beyond understanding what's going on. This led me to suggest pedestrian safety bars as well, but so far that has been ignored.

To my mind, resentment of the horns would create the kind of stress that fuels the random impulse to try to "beat" the train, or ignore the gates, especially in someone drunk or otherwise judgment-impaired. It was pointed out that at the originally planned high speeds, such a person would be hard pressed to get out of the way in time anyway, even if he or she heard the horn. I am encouraged to report that one of the problems the citizens at the Minnehaha tunnel reported may very well have been solved. LRT's original plan for horns blown there were scrapped at our suggestion, in favor of strobe lights and bells located inside the tunnel, as that's where the anticipated problems could occur. In addition, southbound right-turn safety bars have been moved closer to increase safety.

However, when we started the task force, Joe Marie, the assistant general manager of LRT, said he would provide safety statistics which would correspond to an overview of what other cities do regarding warnings around RR crossings. Joe is a very well-meaning, intelligent man and said he wanted a task force, but he didn't provide the substance he promised. I trusted him. Instead, not only did none of us acquire that information, but the LRT effectively disbanded the task force, for now. Of course, there were many folks there, and we can convene and share information without LRT's presence, anytime, and we may well need to. Several of us pressed the LRT to hold another, more public meeting to share these options with the wider community (the democratic thing to do). This request had been voiced (and brushed off) at the previous meeting as well. LRT agreed only to invite the public to the next meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee. Considering what they are asking of the community by running through our neighborhoods under their own rules, at the same time wanting our ridership and support, the responsible thing for them to do is hold this meeting at a large site, and many of us asked that it not just be a presentation of the LRT plan, but a true exchange of ideas with an opportunity to talk, and not just listen. Joe said only that he would hold the meeting and bring the information he promised.

The LRT did promise to draw up a written agreement, however, including the following items: LRT will not change the Phase 1A Operating Procedures—35-40 mph at all crossings with no horns except in emergencies—without first "consulting with" the Horn Task Force, the CAC, the City Engineer and the City Council. In addition if they make changes, it will only be for safety reasons.

So the stage is set, and we citizens need to make sure we let Gary Schiff and other City Councilmembers know what we want for the future of our area. I say other members, because at this point Gary doesn't seem to think there is much concern on the issue. Let's let him know, and also the newspapers, and the Legislature. This is an issue with far reaching implications for the future of our cities. We can make our neighborhoods livable as well as convenient. Quiet as well as vitally linked to the larger business areas of downtown and the Mall /airport.

Make no mistake, LRT will bring good things to our lives. And they want to get along with their riders, for obvious reasons. So we have some real political clout, but only if we choose to speak up, and not just with our choice to ride or not. But unless we say something now and at the next Citizens Advisory meeting, and during the next year, LRT may well feel they can ignore the noise pollution they stand to create if they sneak the horns back in.