once again, blame the drivers

Monday, September 13, 2004, at 11:02AM

By Eric Richardson

While talking about a Blue Line accident two weeks ago, I mentioned that Houston has a lot of similar problems. This misc.transport.urban-transit post quotes from an article showing that the only thing new about these accidents is that they're car/train instead of car/car or car/solid object.

Between 1998 and 2000, nearly 8,000 crashes were recorded along the 7 1/2-mile corridor where Metropolitan Transit Authority light rail trains now travel. Almost 2,000 were on Main and Fannin alone, two streets that make up most of today's rail route. The pre-rail crash total averaged about 51 incidents per week, or roughly 7 1/2 per day. ...

Metro police have kept busy working numerous incidents along the rail corridor that did not involve trains. About 15 cars have driven into the Main Street Square fountain downtown.

Police reports also detail such mayhem as several cars careening off Main Street into adjacent buildings and running into light and utility poles.

One driver ran over pedestrian barricades near Preston Station, and another rolled through flower beds before crashing into the train station at Main Street Square.

I know, I quoted like 75% of the post, but I just couldn't pass it up.