BY KEN LEISER • kleiser@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8215 | Posted: Sunday, March 4, 2012 12:15 am
While traffic fatalities are down across the country, older drivers still account for a “disproportionately high share” of the casualties.
That was one of the findings of a recent report by The Road Information Program and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials. The issue is a significant one as the Baby Boom generation enters its golden years.
Consider this: One in every five drivers will be 65 or older by the year 2025, the report found.
During 2010 in Missouri, there were 154 fatalities in crashes that involved drivers age 65 or older. That was the 12th largest number of fatalities among the states, the report found.
The report’s recommendations included improving lighting and street signs to improve visibility, widening lanes where needed and adding rumble strips. The report also suggested training and education for older drivers.
How this plays out will be worth watching because mobility remains a significant challenge as people age.
GAS PRICES FUELING TRANSIT USE?
With the price of a gallon of gasoline above $3.50 locally and higher elsewhere in the country, mass transit agencies are again touting public transportation as a money-saving alternative to the car.
It’s unclear whether this is really taking hold. But the Metro transit agency and the Madison County Transit, as well as the American Public Transportation Association, have suggested in recent weeks that it may be.
Metro credited an improving economy, mild weather and — yes — higher gas prices for a ridership surge during the last six months of 2011. Boardings were up 8 percent during that period throughout its system compared to the same six months of 2010.
During the week, Madison County express buses shuttle more than 1,800 commuters to and from St. Louis, the agency said. Express bus ridership has grown in each of the last 12 months when compared to the same month the previous year.
METROLINK DELAYS THIS WEEKEND
The Metro transit agency is going to reduce MetroLink traffic to a single track in Illinois this weekend while it conducts rail-grinding maintenance work.
The rail grinding extends the life of the rail and makes for a smoother ride.
Metro officials say the work will restrict light-rail traffic Sunday beginning at 4 p.m., while crews work on the tracks between the College and Shiloh-Scott stations. MetroLink will run on a single track at the College station until the end of service.
As a result, riders on the Red Line may experience five- to 10-minute delays. Blue Line service will not be affected.
Q. Within the last year, many of the intersections (and sidewalks) in the Lemay area have been made handicap accessible. In doing so, the intersection of Reavis Barracks Road and Green Park was redone. It previously had sensors in the pavement for the Green Park traffic (in both directions), but it seems the the sensors are no longer there. Traffic going north AND south on Green Park at that intersection sits for what seems like an eternity waiting for a green light while there is NO traffic in either direction of Reavis Barracks. Were the light-tripping sensors eliminated? Are there plans to re-install them?
— Thomas Norman, South County
The signal timing is not related to the work on the wheelchair ramps, said David Wrone, a spokesman for the St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic. The county adjusted the Reavis Barracks traffic signals at the Grant’s Trail and at Green Park Road so that they would turn green simultaneously. Motorists had grumbled about the light turning green at Grant’s Trail, then driving a few hundred feet to the east only to find the light was red. While it improved traffic flow on Reavis Barracks, Wrone said, the tradeoff was longer wait times at Green Park Road.
Q. Traffic on the exit ramp from westbound Highway 40 to Hanley Road frequently backs up. This is because when the light turns green, people turning left to southbound Hanley have nowhere to go as the light on the other end of the bridge remains red for quite some time. This causes many left-hand turning cars to actually block northbound Hanley drivers when the light eventually turns green. More importantly, it causes traffic to back up all the way to the end of the exit ramp. When MoDOT rebuilt the highway, it was heavily advertised that the frequent logjams over the Hanley bridge would be eliminated. Why is this still such a problem?
— Mike Donat
St. Louis County officials are aware of this and are working on this system, Wrone said. Traffic flows on Hanley and Highway 40 (Interstate 64) have been historically heavy and any tweaks to the system to give drivers more time to get through the intersection will help.
Ken Leiser covers transportation and aviation for the Post-Dispatch. He blogs on Along for the Ride. On Twitter, follow him @kenleiser and the Business section @postdispatchbiz.