This is awesome! Excellent news, and thanks for FOILing everything.
Were you at the recent open house in person? We had a good conversation with Jordan Smith, the lead planner on IBX, and while he wouldn't give many details unlike this document, it did sound like they were far more open to and optimistic about things like the All Faiths Tunnel, possibility of PSDs (which I assume would go with automation), ridership estimates increasing and runtimes decreasing, etc.
Hi! Yes, I was at the open house. I spoke briefly with Jordan Smith and Charlie Gans, who appear to appreciate my comments. I have a FOIL request pending for info about the current PSD study. From what I have received, PSD appears more complex than I had thought. For example, there may be a possible of being caught between a train and the PSD structure. I am not sure PSDs are necessary with automation. PATCO, for example, has had automation without PSDs for decades. At least at less crowded stations, railings with gaps at door locations should suffice.
Full driverless/unattended/GoA4 operation is not really possible without PSDs. The Vancouver Skytrain did but it essentially got grandfathered in. PATCO is just GoA2, like the L and 7, and you definitely need drivers.
You can indeed get caught between the PSD and train, but I think it's about as likely as getting your clothes trapped in the door. Both potentially deadly. But the safety benefits of PSDs are quite proven.
Let me know (or publish another post) if you get the PSD study FOILed! Hopefully it goes well!
This is awesome! Excellent news, and thanks for FOILing everything.
Were you at the recent open house in person? We had a good conversation with Jordan Smith, the lead planner on IBX, and while he wouldn't give many details unlike this document, it did sound like they were far more open to and optimistic about things like the All Faiths Tunnel, possibility of PSDs (which I assume would go with automation), ridership estimates increasing and runtimes decreasing, etc.
Hi! Yes, I was at the open house. I spoke briefly with Jordan Smith and Charlie Gans, who appear to appreciate my comments. I have a FOIL request pending for info about the current PSD study. From what I have received, PSD appears more complex than I had thought. For example, there may be a possible of being caught between a train and the PSD structure. I am not sure PSDs are necessary with automation. PATCO, for example, has had automation without PSDs for decades. At least at less crowded stations, railings with gaps at door locations should suffice.
Full driverless/unattended/GoA4 operation is not really possible without PSDs. The Vancouver Skytrain did but it essentially got grandfathered in. PATCO is just GoA2, like the L and 7, and you definitely need drivers.
You can indeed get caught between the PSD and train, but I think it's about as likely as getting your clothes trapped in the door. Both potentially deadly. But the safety benefits of PSDs are quite proven.
Let me know (or publish another post) if you get the PSD study FOILed! Hopefully it goes well!
Thanks. I will write about PSDs after the MTA responds to my request.
I went to one of the IBX open houses in 2023 and gave them my input.