B.DoT Wants 3 of the 4 Trolley Crossings Removed Off N Line

Katelinn Neighborhood. Metropolis, BR

The N Trolley soon may go over Savanna St instead of crossing it at level.

Today, Nicholette Casey (president of Metropolis Transit), Felix Dorado (V.P. of B.DoT) & Mayor Simon Casey sat down at City Hall today to discuss the 2016-2017 Budget and Plans. A rather interesting issue was brought up that had the attention of both Metropolis Transit & the city. The number of street crossing accidents along the N Trolley has risen and very soon in 2018 a new rail link to Downtown Metropolis from Boga Island is suppose to cross the busy Ocean Avenue in order to get into the tunnel. This means the game has changed in terms of goals. Now faced with heavy recommendations from B.DoT has laid out, Metropolis Transit might consider two options. One option is adding bridges and tunnels along the N trolley line to improve speed, service, & safety. Three S's the public want to hear. Another is rebuilding Blue Beach station into an open trench to go under Ocean Avenue. This would removed a crossing that hasn't even seen one train yet. Both options would vastly improve service but would cost millions to undertake.

Blue Beach Lower Level might also be replaced.

With talks about $20 Million in total to just to the N Line, it no wonder MT's President, Nicholette Casey was reluctlant on moving forward with the plans. In a statement to TMC she stated "It's money I personally wish not to spend but have to. Right now the trolley system need new tracks and wires, there's a lot of work to be done on Trees Avenue and Casey Blvd's S2 station needs to be rebuilt. Crossings were the last thing on my mind. That was until I was shown the stats, people ARE dying at these crossings." Since 2011, 14 people alone were struck along the N corridor though only 6 of them were fatal. Most recently, a trolley pinned a car into a wire pole after it tried to beat the trolley at Savanna Street's crossing in the Katelinn section of Metropolis. 5 of the 6 fatal accidents in the past 4 years have been at this crossing because of the higher speeds the N trolley operates at. The speed limit prior to Savanna Street crossing was recently reduced from 45 MPH to 30 MPH in order to give trolleys more time to stop. It has not worked. 

Trees and heavy brush is blamed for Savanna St's notorious crossing. 

The current plan right now is to build a trolley bridge over Savanna Street while SW 48th & SW 49th Street crossing will be replaced by an open trench. There's even a hint of possible new station at SW 49th Street. It's been 11 years since the original SW 49th Street station was shut down due to low ridership. The population in the area has gone up, but even so as of right now Metropolis Transit and B.DoT are more focused on just removing the crossings, not adding new stations. Work on these crossing is expected to be completed by 2017 if chosen by November by the City Board. The N trolley will most likely be bussed during the construction of the new bridge and trenches. The 22/26 Elevated lines will most likely be uninterrupted by their construction.