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Calgary Transit: Tragic 5 Year Old Boy Incident


transfan17

Calgary Transit 5 Year Old Tragedy  

31 members have voted

  1. 1. Should Calgary Transit improve safety measures to prevent a similar accident

    • Yes
      12
    • No
      19


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http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...ub=TopStoriesV2

I think they should raise more awareness about the issue and encourage people to wait for another train. Missing one train isn't the end of the world because in the end your life is more important. The accident was tragic and unfortunate and God will for sure look after this child as he Rests In Peace in a safe spot. My condolences go out to this family.

<_<:lol::(

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Definitely a terrible tragedy. <_<

I don't think Calgary Transit can really do much to improve safety measures - people shouldn't be standing that close to the platform edges, especially with a train there in motion. About the best thing they could "improve" is to put a large yellow strip on the edges of platforms and educate people to avoid standing within it. This might already be in place - I haven't been on the C-Train in years now. But of course, there will always be people who will stand there regardless as trains roll in.

Edmonton's "next train" announcements are all followed by a "Please stand back from the platform edges" announcement.

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Calgary transit considers barriers after toddler'sdeath

Stephane Massinon, Canwest News Service · Thursday, Jun. 24, 2010

CALGARY - As a makeshift memorial grows on the commuter-transit train platform where a three-year-old boy died on Tuesday, Calgary Transit officials say they will look at security features that could help prevent similar tragedies.

Brian Whitelaw, the system's co-ordinator of public safety and enforcement, said Calgary Transit will conduct an informal review of surface-level light rail safety features available.

"We all ask ourselves, is there anything we could have done to prevent this tragedy? Is there anything at all?"

The review comes as police say they are still in the early stages of the investigation into the incident, in which the boy fell and was wedged between cars of an oncoming train at a downtown platform.

Staff Sgt. Michael Watterston said police have reviewed video footage, but could not see the boy. Investigators also want to speak with more witnesses and will interview the victim's family in more depth.

In other cities, typically with underground systems, passengers are protected with glass gates that have mechanized doors that only open when the train has stopped. So-called platform screen doors are in place at train stations around the world, including London, Shanghai and Dubai.

Toronto has looked at introducing platform screen doors in its subway system to help prevent suicides. Reports peg the cost of the technology at up to $10-million per station.

Neal Gledhil, a University of Calgary PhD student in environmental design, started work yesterday on a similar design for Calgary.

"Until that train is completely stopped and the doors open, there's no way that people can access that gap or come anywhere near that train," said the father of four boys.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/to...3738/story.html

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Good grief people. This entire "is there _anything_ that could be done to prevent another incident?" mentality is just going to absolutely bubblewrap society to the point where I doubt I want to live anymore. Life involves risk. To remove all risk removes all sense of life - because it's just going to cost to freakin' much to put these measures in place that nobody can afford to do anything anymore.

Yes, it's tragic the boy lost his life, but can we chalk it up to the fact some people are too freakin' stupid to stand back from the yellow strip?

Jon

About the best thing they could "improve" is to put a large yellow strip on the edges of platforms and educate people to avoid standing within it. This might already be in place - I haven't been on the C-Train in years now.

The accident happened at one of Calgary's newest renovations to the downtown C-Train stations, and there is a tactile set of tiles, two feet wide and VERY bright yellow.

Jon

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Good grief people. This entire "is there _anything_ that could be done to prevent another incident?" mentality is just going to absolutely bubblewrap society to the point where I doubt I want to live anymore. Life involves risk. To remove all risk removes all sense of life - because it's just going to cost to freakin' much to put these measures in place that nobody can afford to do anything anymore.

Jon

Very well put Jon. I was afraid I was the only one with these thoughts.
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Very, very unfortunate situation, many LRT operators were very upset the day this happened, I was one of them. This will now become a political issue, I think the public should be more educated on how dangerous it is when the train is pulling out and in to the stations. During rush hour there will be another train within a minute or two.

My condolences to the family, and I hope the operator returns to work soon.....be strong we are all here to help.....its nobody's fault this is just an unfortunate incident.

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Very, very unfortunate situation, many LRT operators were very upset the day this happened, I was one of them. This will now become a political issue, I think the public should be more educated on how dangerous it is when the train is pulling out and in to the stations. During rush hour there will be another train within a minute or two.

My condolences to the family, and I hope the operator returns to work soon.....be strong we are all here to help.....its nobody's fault this is just an unfortunate incident.

Yes i wish to pass my reguards on to the family as well, this was very tragic my prayers are with the driver and the family

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Good grief people. This entire "is there _anything_ that could be done to prevent another incident?" mentality is just going to absolutely bubblewrap society to the point where I doubt I want to live anymore. Life involves risk. To remove all risk removes all sense of life - because it's just going to cost to freakin' much to put these measures in place that nobody can afford to do anything anymore.

Yes, it's tragic the boy lost his life, but can we chalk it up to the fact some people are too freakin' stupid to stand back from the yellow strip?

Jon

As bad as this may sound, people need to step up for what they did. The child should have been right with his parents, ESPECIALLY in a busy train station.

Chris Cassidy

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its nobody's fault this is just an unfortunate incident.

That's exactly it... an accident... This is not a reoccuring incident. It hasn't happened in Edmonton either that I'm aware of after all of these years of operation and hundreds of thousands of trains that have passed through stations in both cities... carrying millions upon millions of people.

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  • 1 month later...
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Safety experts called in after 3-year-old's C-Train death

BY JOE FRIES, CALGARY HERALDAUGUST 11, 2010

New safety signs are in place at a C-Train station on Centre Street, Calgary.

Photograph by: Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald

The death this summer of a three-year-old boy at a C-Train platform has prompted Calgary Transit to seek a special safety audit and implement other measures on its own.

A team from the American Public Transit Association will do a peer-reviewed study of the C-Train system with an emphasis on platform safety, and likely make recommendations based on the industry's best practices, said Calgary Transit spokeswoman Theresa Keddy.

"We've asked them to look at everything we're doing and reaffirm that we're doing the right thing and that it's consistent with other agencies across North America," she said, adding a date for the visit hasn't been finalized.

The organization is North America's leading authority on public transit, made up of 1,500 service providers and contractors from Canada and the U.S. Spokesman Mantill Williams said team members are selected from other transit systems to help on peer reviews.

"What you do is you look out there and see who's an expert in what you're dealing with and try to bring that person in," said Williams.

The association is also scheduled this fall to conduct a regular triennial safety audit on Calgary Transit operations.

A three-year-old died June 22 when he broke away from a family member and was somehow caught between a moving train and the platform at the 3rd Street S.W. station.

Keddy said Calgary Transit has not ruled out the possibility of installing gates at platforms, but doesn't think they are the best way to prevent similar accidents.

Gates could cause other problems, she added, such as people sitting on them or getting caught between them and a train.

Calgary Transit has, however, spent $10,765 on one-metre decals that have been placed underfoot on platforms and in stations. They remind passengers to stay behind the platforms' yellow lines that serve as a buffer between riders and moving trains. As of Friday, 80 decals had been placed around the LRT system, a process that began with the downtown and Stampede locations, and expanded outward.

Riders at the 3rd Street platform on Tuesday gave the decals mixed reviews.

Serena Icon, who was rushing to catch a train with her two-year-old daughter, likes them.

"So I can remember to take her hand, (it) reminds me," Icon said.

But Debbie Todd figures such safety precautions should be common sense.

"I don't think it helps," she said. When it comes to small kids, "you've always got to keep your hand on them."

Calgary Transit spent another $3,000 in-house to produce a safety video with the same message, which will be made available online, Keddy said.

A Calgary Police Service investigation into the boy's death is also ongoing. His name was never released.

jfries@theherald.canwest.com

© Copyright © The Calgary Herald

Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Safety...4008/story.html via Metro Magazine

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