No Turns Allowed: Controlling Vehicles Turning in Front of Light Rail Vehicles

A key attribute of light rail transit (LRT) is its ability to integrate well into urban environments, sharing the public right-of-way with motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. This characteristic has made LRT very successful in urban corridors that require a high-capacity mode of transportation operating in a shared (on-street or mall) right-of-way environment. Although LRT is an inherently safe mode of transportation, accidents do occur. Such accidents negatively affect not only the parties involved, but also the operation of the entire LRT system and the reputation of the transit property. LRT accident data indicate that the most prevalent type of light rail vehicle (LRV)-motor vehicle accident occurs when motor vehicles turn left or right across LRT tracks and collide with an LRV rapidly approaching the intersection. Five of the most-common types of such accidents are identified, and traffic control devices and techniques are recommended to improve safety by conveying to the motorist the higher level of risk in violating a left or right turn signal prohibition.