I'm copying my response to the same question from the SASY listserv. I actually talked about this with a buch of folks last night and got a mix of reactions pretty similar to what I'm reading here: half the people think it is a nuisance/distraction and the other half haven't much noticed it. Many of the latter seem quick to dismiss the concern as unimportant. As I biked home in the quiet, I realized that my experience with the beeps has a lot to do with being on my bike; the sound would be much less noticeable if I were in a car. The same holds true for those living close to a stop or intersection frequented by buses vs. those who don't. I ride most every morning down Jenifer St. usually playing leapfrog with three buses. They are beeping at least 80% of the time from their turn onto Jenifer at Baldwin all the way to the stop light at Williamson. It is incredibly distracting and I have yet to see any evidence that this increasing safety.
If this is truly meant as a response to the pedestrian that was struck and killed several years back, I'm even more concerned. Improving safety for vulnerable users starts with good roadway design/signals/markings and involves a high level of driver accountability and alertness. Use of this audible warning reinforces the stereotypes of people on foot and people on bikes being unpredictable and shifts the accountability from where it needs to land. Barring any compelling evidence of the value of this implementation I would hope that it is discontinued. Grant Grant Foster <[email protected]> May 27 (9 days ago) to SASYNA-Discuss. I agree. All of the close calls I've had with Metro buses have been bus operator error (usually passing me without 3' clearance) and the signal would have done nothing to increase my safety. I honestly don't even understand the theoretical advantage of this solution. What is the compelling scenario in which a pedestrian or cyclist is struck by a bus due to the fact that the pedestrian or cyclist wasn't aware that the bus was there? I just saw a Metro bus very nearly squash a cyclist at Eastwood/Division a few weeks back. Bus was eastbound on Eastwood, cyclist was eastbound on the path. Cyclist continued straight through the crosswalk on a green cross signal and the Metro driver pulled a right turn right in front of the cyclist (in spite of the fact that there is prominent signage for road users to yield to people in the crosswalk). The beeping signal may have alerted the cyclist that they were about to get right hooked, but wouldn't have prevented this. Ongoing safety training and high quality and alert Metro drivers will prevent this. (To the driver's credit, he at least stopped the bus, got out, and made sure the woman wasn't dead before proceeding on his route). I do find the beeping very distracting when I'm riding my bike. Riding down Jenifer St, I'm now bombarded by the beeping. It doesn't tell me if the bus is going to overtake me or is slowing to pull into a stop behind me. All it does is create one more signal for my brain to process and takes my attention away from navigating the potholes in the street and keeping myself in a safe and predictable position in the road. I'd really like to see some evidence of the value of this new form of pollution. If there isn't any, I'd support having this program shut down. Grant On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 8:26 AM, MrillCom Ingram [email protected] [SASYNA-Discussions] <[email protected]> wrote: > I would like to chime in to say that this “alert” system is counter > productive in my short experience. > > Having just ridden my bike through the intersection of East Washington and > First St. I encountered three buses, two inbound and one out, all beeping > away. It just added to the general din and felt very distracting. It did > nothing to help me focus on safety. > > Mrill Ingram > > On May 27, 2015, at 7:53 AM, Allison Smith [email protected] > [SASYNA-Discussions] <[email protected]> wrote: > > [Attachment(s) from Allison Smith included below] > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Allison Smith <[email protected]> > Date: Sun, May 24, 2015 at 10:59 AM > Subject: Metro noise alert system - public meeting > To: [email protected], [email protected], ja > [email protected], [email protected] > > > Dear SASY - > > I am sending you a column that I co-wrote with a member of the Madison > Area Bus Advocates, which was published in May on the Madison Commons > website. I'm working to circulate this piece as broadly as possible to > neighborhood groups and lists, as a public meeting about this issue will be > held June 10, 5 pm, at the Madison Municipal Building. > > http://www.madisoncommons.org/?q=content/the-bus-stops-here- > an-alarming-signal > > I am extremely unhappy about Metro's new noise alert system, which I > became aware of several months ago. I live in an apartment on a corner > where the number 81 bus turns and passes by every 1/2 hour, until 3 am on > weekends, and 2 am on weeknights. The beeping has disrupted my ability to > sleep, even more so now that the windows are open. > > But, I want to stress, this is really a public health issue, even more > than a neighborhood annoyance issue. The more I read about the negative > health effects of noise, the more I realize this is not just about me, or > my personal issue with noise in my neighborhood. This issue effects > everyone whether they realize it or not. Studies are finding that noise is > a major stressor that impacts the body, and leads to many negative health > consequences. Even people who think they are not bothered by noise > experience stress reactions in their bodies, even while sleeping, which may > lead over time to serious health issues. > > In addition, I don't believe that Metro can prove that this alert system > has added to the safety of bicyclists or pedestrians the city. In 2012, a > year after the fatal accident which started this problem, Metro reported > that ridership was up, and accidents were down, due to better training and > morale. They did not conclude that safety was enhanced by the alert system > which by that time, had been installed on a small number of buses. Nor have > they released any statistical information since then, that concludes the > alert system has had a positive impact. > > However, I do believe that the alert system is compromising the health of > all citizens. Therefore, this alert system needs to be rethought, and other > alternatives to safety explored. So, I hope representatives from your group > will come to the meeting and speak out on behalf of your neighborhood. > Please also feel free to pass this on to any interested parties. > > Meeting: June 10, 2015, 5 p.m. Madison Municipal Building, Martin Luther > King, Jr. Blvd. Room 260, Use the Doty St. entrance after 6 p.m. > > Thank you - > > Allison Smith > > On Fri, Jun 5, 2015 at 8:50 AM, Paul T. O'Leary <[email protected]> wrote: > On 2015/06/05 08:31, India Viola wrote: > >> While I appreciate the sentiment in Paul's response, I would ask folks >> who are sight-impaired directly rather than assuming that this addition to >> the din is helpful for them (maybe it is, maybe it isn't?). >> > > Okay, I'll ask. I have had multiple blind friends state that it's > difficult to determine when a hybrid car is approaching their path, with a > recommendation that they should have such a beeper running whenever the > vehicle is moving. I think that's a little over the top. Still, I used that > bit of information to inspire the notion that the turn signal beeper would > be helpful. > > I find the bleeping obnoxious at best and confusing at worst. >> As a cyclist, pedestrian, car driver, and bus passenger, I am in favor of >> getting rid of this extra noise emanating from the buses that does not >> appear to have any positive influence on anything or anyone. >> > > And this is not an "assumption"? > > > -- > Paul T. O'Leary > Chronic Nuisance > Madison, WI USA > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >
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