Inspection in Philly After D.C. Crash

26 June 2009 - 1:00pm

SEPTA of Philadelphia will inspect train-control signals made by the same company that made the signals on the Metro in D.C, where a possible signal malfunction is under investigation in the recent train crash.

After the deadly train collision in D.C., SEPTA decided to inspect the train-control signals on the Market-Frankford Line in Philadelphia, since the signals were made by the same company that made those on the Metro in Washington.

The signals on the Market-Frankford Line were made by Alstom S.A., a large French manufacturer of transportation equipment and power plants.

"Last month, the equipment did not detect trains along one section of Boston's Orange Line. Engineers discovered the problem and immediately stopped using the automated system while they checked all circuits. Trains were dispatched by radio for 12 days, and MBTA personnel were posted at each station to give the go-ahead for trains to proceed, an MBTA spokesman told the Washington Post."

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 26, 2009
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But what can planners do to support the kind of connections between people I just described? One idea is promoting mixed-use places where there are simply more opportunities for people to run into each other and connect.