Dear Colleagues,
This is a very interesting discussion. MTA New York City Transit has recently implemented One Person Train Operation (OPTO) on a few of its subway lines in the face of political and community opposition. OPTO trains are operated without a conductor and are shorter than regular trains. The train driver now operates the doors. NYC Transit promised increased service frequency on OPTO lines, saying that shorter passenger waiting times would increase station security. NYC Transit has NOT increased service on the OPTO lines, and mass transit advocacy organizations are feeling betrayed.
As to the psychological barrier discussion, NYC Transit has recently ordered new subway cars. These cars will be fitted with intercoms for passenger communication with drivers and conductors. This is one way that NYC Transit hopes to alleviate security fears on conductor-less trains. (Yet, what is going to stop rowdy riders from abusing the intercom system?)
I hope you find this helpful.
Sincerely,
Sarah E. Massey
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA
www.pcac.org
>>> "fjw" <[log in to unmask]> 12/02 6:15 AM >>>
Dear Richard,
Docklands Railways in London UK, has had driverless trains for years.
Instead of a driver they have a Train Captain who checks tickets and I think
operates the doors. I presume MTA will have someone on the train.
There is one line in Lyons which has driverless trains and there is no staff
on the train. Everything is operated by computers including the doors. On
each side of the train are walkways for the purpose of detrainment. The
trains are always full of passengers.
I would have thought that security could be a worry on trains with no staff.
Regards
Frank Wood
>Paul Schimek of MIT recently made an interesting point at the ACSP
>conference in Pasadena that I'd like to bounce off of you. ``A major
>barrier to implementation of bus rapid transit ideas is simply
>psychological,'' he said. While L.A. officials talk about building a
>network of faster and more reliable buses and even painting them
>differently--in gold--to reflect the new ``gold standard'' of bus
>service, how do they overcome that public perceptions that riding a bus
>in L.A. is a Job-like ordeal suffered only by the poor and car-less.
>Sure, in time, the public might see buses moving faster (in bus-only
>lanes and with signal preemption), but how do transit planners deal with
>that psychological problem (a problem, if a recall correctly, was enough
>to keep the MTA from using the driverless technology that it purchased
>for millions on the Green Line because they feared the public would feel
>uneasy riding a driverless train; ok, union opposition to the
>loss of jobs contributed to the decision, too). Any thoughts?
>
>Richard J. Simon
>Los Angeles Times
>
>
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