Some US Transit Systems Weigh Whether to Run Trains without a Human at the Controls
Agencies are debating pilot programs and policy changes as unions warn driverless trains could weaken safety oversight and reduce the need for operators.
- Officials in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles are advancing plans for automated subway lines, seeking to modernize transit infrastructure despite fierce debate over safety risks and substantial upfront expenses.
- The 2009 Fort Totten crash, which killed nine, paralyzed automation efforts for years before recent system upgrades, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority CEO Randy Clarke noted.
- While Los Angeles is reviewing an automated line beneath the Santa Monica Mountains, Honolulu Skyline project director Vance Tsuda reports an unblemished safety record for the three-year-old system.
- International president John Samuelsen of the Transport Workers Union criticized automation as a "catastrophe waiting to happen," citing concerns regarding passenger self-evacuation in third-rail systems.
- As Metro plans to run driverless Red Line trains by 2033 under a nearly $1 billion investment, Reason Foundation senior managing director Baruch Feigenbaum suggests success could encourage other cities.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Some US transit systems weigh whether to run trains without a human at the controls – WTOP News
Even as automated vehicles such as robotaxis grow more prevalent in the U.S., almost every mass transit system still requires a driver or operator on board. Two major cities are seeking to change that. Officials in Washington, D.C., recently advanced a plan that could let computers fully control one of its subways, and Los Angeles...
Some US transit systems weigh whether to run trains without a human at
Even as automated vehicles such as robotaxis grow more prevalent in the U.S., almost every mass transit system still requires a driver or operator on board. Two major cities are seeking to change that. Officials in Washington,
Winnipeg Free Press
Some US transit systems weigh whether to run trains without a human at the controls
Even as automated vehicles such as robotaxis grow more prevalent in the U.S., almost every mass transit system still requires a driver or operator on board. Two major cities are seeking to change that.
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