Submitted by riski_click t3_115muwl in boston
Celticsddtacct t1_j92nxyp wrote
People will look back at stuff like this in 300 years like we look back at putting leaches on people to suck out their bad blood. It cannot be that crazy of a project to put up barriers
Pattyooooooo t1_j92urin wrote
idk it feels pretty crazy that anyone could reach the third rail right now. you'd have to go down onto the tracks which is obviously not where anyone should be
nebrija t1_j94xxfz wrote
Yeah anyone in their right mind wouldn't go down there.
ThatGuy0nReddit t1_j95bmr5 wrote
What if there’s a dunks gift card down there
Sayoria t1_j92pua9 wrote
For Boston, city of 100 year old motorized sardine cans that run every 45 minutes, this is definitely a big ask.
willzyx01 t1_j92oiau wrote
Barriers have to be placed on the platforms. Drunk people will break said barriers. Old trains can't stop exactly on their marks. Barriers are expensive. MBTA doesn't have any money.
Celticsddtacct t1_j92p015 wrote
While all true, safety barriers are used in other parts of the world to great success. Just another example of the sad state of the mbta
nerdponx t1_j92qc0t wrote
This just seems like a low priority investment compared to getting the trains actually working consistently and paying conductors fairly. this is a rare accident anyway, it just doesn't seem worth it from a cost benefit perspective.
anarchy8 t1_j92z859 wrote
There wouldn't be any conductors if we had modern trains and signaling systems.
spedmunki t1_j94ms3l wrote
Copenhagen trains are completely automated and run 24/7
WaitOk4606 t1_j95c5o2 wrote
But that's in a first world country
IDCFFSGTFO t1_j95qje1 wrote
When you roll over and play dead for the Nazis, you end up with really good rail systems.
WaitOk4606 t1_j960xy0 wrote
Spare me. America has committed plenty of war crimes and atrocities and we don't have a functioning transportation system.
spedmunki t1_j9a68a8 wrote
Their metro began operation in 2002, dingus
IDCFFSGTFO t1_j9a9v8o wrote
Sure and they were the first trains they'd ever seen.
Doctrina_Stabilitas t1_j9ajs92 wrote
The unions at other cities like Toronto where the capability has been introduced right against that
New York can run on one perso opposition but the union successfully fought the elimination of the second conductor with a massive strike a while back
free_to_muse t1_j93djy2 wrote
Lots of subway systems work wonderfully and don’t have safety barriers. Why pick on the MBTA.
Anxa t1_j944fmx wrote
It's kind of a "yeah both" situation. Safety barriers would be better. But absent them, it's very much you have to be trying to touch the third rail.
Not directly relevant but I remember one time the red line broke down between central and Kendall, and we had to walk back to central. They had these alarm things set up on the third rail all over the place that presumably would light up if they detected current. None of us went anywhere near it regardless.
Sheol t1_j9354y1 wrote
"Things that work everywhere else won't work here because we're special"
psychicsword t1_j96mbga wrote
No one is saying that they won't work. They are saying that investing millions into them right now isn't the best investment when there are far worse deficiencies in the MBTA system.
When we have had people fail through stairs to their deaths at MBTA stations, then the risks of the being dangerous electricity in areas you are clearly not supposed to go isn't the problem we should be fixing.
Anustart15 t1_j94h7ue wrote
>Old trains can't stop exactly on their marks.
That's not really an issue, it's more that we have different train sets with different numbers of doors. Also that we have such a backlog of much more important maintenance that it really isn't a priority
resonant_waves t1_j92yv8b wrote
Putting up barriers would be a huge undertaking for the MBTA as it requires the trains to stop in the exact same spot every time they pull up to the platform. This would require replacing the existing signaling system and train cars. Much of the T uses an outdated analog signaling system, which is only now being replaced with a digital system. Likewise much of the T's rolling stock is decades old and won't be fully replaced for another decade or two.
StarbeamII t1_j93p37u wrote
You can make the doors on the barriers wider than the doors on the train to give you some leeway. There are also vertical barrier doors that don't care about door positions.
bakgwailo t1_j93o3g9 wrote
Well, technically they are fully replacing the rolling stock and signals on the orange and red as we type. Unfortunately it's all gone to shit and years behind.
TedToaster22 t1_j93epom wrote
They're called platform screen doors and they're standard in much of the world. Safer for riders and cheaper for agencies as less incidents like this tragic one occur. Since it's such a slam dunk it's unlikely we'll ever do it here.
shyjenny t1_j93k0vu wrote
I have seen them, but mostly on monorail systems
There aren't platform screen doors in LA, NYC, Chicago, DC, most of London
Trivia: Invented in Boston
BACsop t1_j93z6zl wrote
Platform screen doors are pretty much standard on new metro lines in Europe and Asia nowadays, and many cities have retrofitted old lines to add platform screen doors. North America is unique in not moving in this direction--the only project with them on the continent I'm aware of is the new Honolulu automated metro.
alexbaguette1 t1_j99dbmi wrote
The Toronto Ontario Line is meant to have them, however knowing Toronto, it will probably be 2050 before it's finished.
BACsop t1_j9ao5bz wrote
Interesting--I didn't realize this!
ppomeroy t1_j946yl7 wrote
MBTA cannot do it because the current rolling stock varies. On the Red line they have 2 different types with varying measurements and the CRRC will make it 3. Orange has 2, Green has 3, and eventually 4. Until all of the rolling stock has the same measurements they cannot even consider platform gates.
TedToaster22 t1_j94l6gj wrote
Old orange line cars have basically been unofficially retired, green line type 10s will replace the entire fleet, new red line cars will eventually be a full fleet replacement. Blue line you could do it now. Point is, PSDs should be part of the respective fleet replacement projects IMHO.
pinklittlelamb t1_j93apou wrote
We still use leaches in the hospital. Happened this week in my world lol
KayakerMel t1_j945bvs wrote
Well, yes, but not for the same reasons as a few centuries back. Although I wonder how often blood letting accidentally treated the condition (compared to how often it worsened and killed people).
Pyroechidna1 t1_j958e8z wrote
I’d rather electrify the commuter rail than invest in platform edge doors
FineIllMakeaProfile t1_j97p2cu wrote
But... Barriers would also be a bit like the package warnings "food will be hot after heating."
It shouldn't be necessary to put up a barrier when the tracks are so far below the platform. If you're going to trespass on the tracks you're risking your own life. I hate the part of our society that has made it necessary to anticipate every stupid thing some rando might do.
alexbaguette1 t1_j99dwsl wrote
While it would be nice, ignoring the issues with rolling stock, doing such a think would cost several billion dollars (based on case studies of other systems which have considered adding them). As of now, if the MBTA had that money, it would be better spent elsewhere making sure we actually have a functioning system where trains don't burn to the ground.
DooDooBrownz t1_j9c656u wrote
in 300 years? more like "what the f is this electricity?"
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