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Why not traffic lights and crossing lights?
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<P mce_keep="true">[quote user="zugmann"] <P>The convenience store carries less that 100 bucks in the register at any one time, but they probably get robbed 100x more than the bank up the street. Why? Enforcement.</P> <P> I'm not blaming you per se, but the assumption that if trains block crossings less, that grade crossing compliance would improve. So if you get the average time a train takes to clear the crossing down to 2 mins from 3, then people will blow the crossings because 2 is too much. Drop it down to one. That will still be too much. We live in an age of instant everything - from breakfast to communication. People will run red lights and crossings even if they think it will delay them 10 seconds. Trying to speed trains through crossings isn't the answer. How about we try some better enforcement of the laws? I bet red light cameras cut down on people blowing the traffic lights...</P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P> <P>The only crossings around here that get blocked for more than a minute or two, are those that are located near an industry. Now, unless we build a $10 billion overpass, or shut down the industry, there is really no way to avoid those delays. But people are still going to run in front of trains, even at crossings that never are blocked for long periods of times (unless in an emergency). People just have to pull their big boy britches on and deal with it. </P> <P>[/quote]</P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>I agree with your point about convenience stores getting robbed more than banks, but my analogy to the bank robber is only to show that there is a connection between the money and the motivation of bank robbers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P><FONT face=verdana,geneva> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>The motivation to beat trains because of fear of a delay runs deep in the driving culture, and it has developed over a long period of time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That is why I suggested you would need a century to undo the mindset.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>But nevertheless, I stand by my assumption that the unusually strong motivation in many drivers to beat trains is directly the result of the their experience with trains blocking crossings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN>It makes no difference that trains block crossing only 2-3 minutes on average.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The unusually strong motivation to beat the train comes from drivers who have experienced crossing delays of 15-30 minutes.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And they worry about that possibility every time they encounter activated crossing signals and an approaching train.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P>
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