Officials Struggle To Keep LA Light Rail Line Safe
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A high number of deaths and accidents along a light rail line in Los Angeles County has prompted officials to go on the defense.
Since opening in 1990, the Blue Line has been linked to 101 fatalities -- 23 of them suicides -- and 875 collisions. The numbers are the highest among the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's five rail lines.
While federal statistics show the MTA's death rate is on par with other transit agencies in the country, the MTA says it's trying to reduce the fatalities.
The agency has stepped up enforcement and installed warning devices to keep people from crossing the tracks to beat the train.
The upgrades have drawn mixed results and haven't placated critics. MTA officials insist the agency has met and exceeded safety requirements.
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