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MTA considers alarm system to alert workers when someone has fallen or jumped onto the tracks


Via Garibaldi 8

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About the alarm system: Actual suiciders won't jump onto the tracks and wait 10 minutes for the train to enter. They will jump seconds before the train reaches them. An alarm system won't help in that case, but it will if someone slips, or faints with enough time for the alarm system to make a difference.

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Sensors to detect if something has fallen in the track exist since a long time.
The Skytrain in Vancouver (1987) or the line D of Lyon metro (1991) have them.
When something drops in the track, the traffic shut down.
It has some problem at the beginning because the system was too sensible, detecting even little objects.

 

If if that would not stop a suicide or a murder, this would prevents for some people falling in the track to be hit by trains.

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i dont think it gonna work. the PA has spent millions of dollars for same kind of thing except it over water. when that boat or jet ski got stranded in the area of secure permitter by the JFK, the alarm syatem failed. If this hapen in subway it will still failed. 

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I'm all for the Laser sensor Idea. Hopefully it would keep idiot like this of the tracks: fWUUY2o.jpeg

 

Girl throwing the peace sign: HEY LOOK GUISE I'M A FOAMER!!!111ONE!! DON'T I LOOK JUST SO TOTALLY UBER KEWL NAO??? (alarm goes off: *ANT* *ANT* *ANT* *WOOOO* *WOOOO* *ANT* *ANT* *ANT* *ANT* *WOOOOO*)

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About the alarm system: Actual suiciders won't jump onto the tracks and wait 10 minutes for the train to enter. They will jump seconds before the train reaches them. An alarm system won't help in that case, but it will if someone slips, or faints with enough time for the alarm system to make a difference.

 

To be fair, platform screen doors might not even lower overall suicide rates - they only have the potential to lower suicide by train. If someone is distraught enough to be completely determined to take their life, unfortunately they will merely find another way - and we can't ban everything that could possibly kill someone, lest we forego toaster ovens and bathtubs as well. 

 

The best way to prevent suicides is with broader public policy. Also, something like this wouldn't hurt, would be cheap, and could also contact an operator who could alert RCC if someone has already fallen. Double bonus. In fairness, it's basically just a help-point with a "life is worth living" sign on top. 

 

bca3ddff6db17f974c3692dd2e61-grande.jpg

 

i dont think it gonna work. the PA has spent millions of dollars for same kind of thing except it over water. when that boat or jet ski got stranded in the area of secure permitter by the JFK, the alarm syatem failed. If this hapen in subway it will still failed. 

 

Detecting the presence of a boat over a large area of water is very different than detecting 100+ pounds of what's basically saltwater entering a relatively small trench. A multitude of sensors could be employed, perhaps in congress to reduce false positives. A capacitance wire is very cheap and decades old and successfully detects the presence of a human in a space. Cameras, fitted with image analysis algorithms would require development, but could work. 

 

Use a system like the xbox kinect, and add some depth perception, and the system can know the Size and Shape of what's on the tracks. It would be pretty easy for a computer to distinguish human from rat. 

 

If they can incorperate infrared technology in it where the sensors can read body tempertures on the fly then it could work. The technology is definitely there.

 

Infrared sensors that read body temperatures are prohibitavely expensive - and would be affected by temperature. In winter, coats would "dim" the humans, in summer, the track bed can certainly reach 98.6 degrees - which would render people invisible. 

 

The "Kinect" like depth perception system I described would use infrared, but as a light shone in a pulse pattern to measure the depth at a given pixel. (an Idea I had 7 years ago, never patented, and later appeared in the kinect, and yes I am still bitter about it :-|  )

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Use a system like the xbox kinect, and add some depth perception, and the system can know the Size and Shape of what's on the tracks. It would be pretty easy for a computer to distinguish human from rat. 

 

 

Infrared sensors that read body temperatures are prohibitavely expensive - and would be affected by temperature. In winter, coats would "dim" the humans, in summer, the track bed can certainly reach 98.6 degrees - which would render people invisible. 

 

The "Kinect" like depth perception system I described would use infrared, but as a light shone in a pulse pattern to measure the depth at a given pixel. (an Idea I had 7 years ago, never patented, and later appeared in the kinect, and yes I am still bitter about it :-|  )

 

That's some innovative points. Well thought out. I guess the MTA concluded that for one thing though they see this option to be much less expensive then say platform doors or gates despite the high cost from the technology involved in the sensor system but that is an assumption on my part.

 

Work Trains go through there as well as light trains from the Overhaul Shop,but hey what do i know...

 

Oh I see. Because of the ease of access from ENY or Coney Island yard etc. as it is a direct part of the BMT system, but that's as a guess as a straphanger looking in.

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Dont matter there is still third rail Power.....

 

Work Trains go through there as well as light trains from the Overhaul Shop,but hey what do i know...

But the average citizen wouldn't know this, now would they?

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NEVER assume that a track is clear or unused. And NEVER assume that trains can stop on a dime. I learned that from a Thomas the Tank Engine book I had as a kid.

We know this, but as I said, some don't.

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But the average citizen wouldn't know this, now would they?

 

"Common Sense"<====== Words that people take for granted.....

 

"Oh train tracks i dont see any trains but maybe one could show up"...

 

^Thats Using Common Sense^

 

We know this, but as I said, some don't.

 

Those are the ones that usually find themselves starting at a train coming at them...

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I understand that the firm that did the Korean subway made a proposal to do demo doors in NY subways to the NYCT and the MTA. They proposed to do it where there is no cost to the city or state……..WHY AREN"T WE LOOKING INTO THIS? All this takes is investigation and talks with that company.  This is a no brainer to at least look into it.  Its better than the button idea they suggest. 

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  • 4 months later...

tracksensor38ef97d1-ad24-4e3b-8140-b1227

Phote credits: NY1 News

 

Newsflash: The MTA has established a definite, solid plan to implement track intrusion programs with the spinoff of this pilot program with the testing phases by the end of this year, according to a report from NY1 I've just found out this morning. . As of now, the number of accidents stands at 77 people , resulting in 29 deaths.

 

As to where the program will start, has not been revealed as of yet. Perhaps we can discuss which stations would best benefit most from the installation of this new tentative program to be swiftly put into action and even speculate where the testing will start as again the details are still have not been released officially by the MTA apparently from the latest details published so far.

 

The transit workers' union wants subway riders to stand back, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has put up safety warnings in stations and on trains.

 

But Queens Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. thinks track intrusion technology is the way to go if fewer people are to get smacked by subway trains.

 

"This would alert the driver of the train to the fact that something is on those tracks and slow them down or stop that before someone gets hit or killed," Vallone said.

 

The MTA plans to test suitable track intrusion programs by the end of the year, with the goal of cutting back on the number of people who come into the path of trains. So far this year, 77 people have been hit, resulting in 29 deaths. In 2012, 141 people were hit by trains, with 55 fatalities.

 

Vallone believes the high-profile deaths of subway riders who were pushed off platforms, tried to run across tracks or chased smartphones onto the tracks show the need for such a system.

 

"These last few incidents have really brought attention to the fact that there's something out there now that we can do about it," he said. "Let's take a look at it."

 

The MTA says it's already on the case, having spoken to several vendors about track intrusion technologies.

 

 

 

 

Link: http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/183852/mta-investigating-methods-to-detect-people-on-tracks

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I proposed something very similar when there was all the flurry about platform screen doors. 

 

I'm glad they're moving forward with a test. It's a much smarter, cheaper and easier idea then Platform Screen Doors, and it's also highly effective. 

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In future news..whatever happend to the MTA testing lasers on the tracks? I got news for you....this will never work and it will never happen.

Well it's a test. In the event it is proven successful what would your opinion be then?

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