Charlotte Center City Streetcar Network

[Boricua]

I took a video of the trolley approaching before it opened to the public at 1:00. I stuck around and rode the first trolley open to the public with several news crews.

VID_20150714_114843957.mp4

Hey that's me at :17 filming with my phone

[CLTProductions]

Uh oh. Streetcar smashed into a car. Minor injuries

 

not sure how the accident was caused, agenda is saying it lost brakes but CATS isn't saying . 

 

Edited July 18, 2015 by Jayvee

[15895]

I wish people were as outraged when vehicles hit pedestrians, Bikers & other vehicles as much as a streetcar bumps into a car

[ah59396]

I wish people were as outraged when vehicles hit pedestrians, Bikers & other vehicles as much as a streetcar bumps into a car

 

 

This looks like a heck of a lot more than a bump...

 

https://instagram.com/p/5SC0kljkMw/

 

Edited July 18, 2015 by ah59396
another pic

[ajfunder]

I don't know the details yet but judging from a WCNC photo, the streetcar made contact with the backright side of the vehicle. If it was heading east (towards Prebyterian) I would guess the driver was trying to get around the streetcar before the one lane section on Elizabeth. This would explain why the streetcar wouldn't be able to stop and when it hit the car it spun the vehicle around. If it was heading west I'm not sure what happened. Regardless who is at fault, this sucks for PR. Hope everyone is alright.

Edited July 18, 2015 by ajfunder

[ajfunder]

Streetcar was heading towards CTC, sounds like the brakes may have failed.

[15895]

On my way to try out the streetcar I spent a solid twenty minutes in lake Norman stop and go traffic. I also saw two wrecks. 

 

Got out to streetcar and the channel 9 anchor asked what I thought of the streetcar car accident. I just said  I was more worried about other vehicles hitting me.

 

One thing I'm annoyed with regarding the gold line is the inbound ctc stop. The guided rails don't match with the cross walk. It was faster than what I thought based on people's responses

[nonillogical]

Let the hysteria begin. Half joking of course because this is pretty serious, wondering why neither the normal brakes, the emergency electromagnetic brakes, or the dead man switch worked, as it sounds like the streetcar was out of control for almost the whole hill. 

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article27961498.html

[ah59396]

We can all joke about it, but this is like, the worst case scenario as far as PR is concerned.  This was absolutely my fear.

[nonillogical]

We can all joke about it, but this is like, the worst case scenario as far as PR is concerned.  This was absolutely my fear.

Agreed. Not sure if it makes it worse or slightly better that these cars have had no such failures in any of the other cities they're used. Supposedly CATS will be releasing more information today. 

[ajfunder]

I wonder if operator error could be the cause. The streetcars have three different braking systems, the chance that all would fail is highly unlikely, especially after passing the morning inspection. They even have manual chain brakes which is what the wheel on both ends are for. This essentially clamps down on the wheels manually so the streetcars wheels can't move. I have a feeling the operator may have panicked and forgot about the manual brake.

Gomaco is well respected in the heritage streetcar community for quality craftsmanship and operating mechanisms. I have serious doubts that the streetcar was completely out of control unless CATS modified the braking system or missed something during maintenance and that is why I believe this incident was operator error. The fact that the streetcar operated without issue back to the maintenance facility is another indicator.

[michaelef]

I posted a photo to my instagram Saturday night, after the crash,giving all my love for the streetcar. So let's all help CATS and spread rave reviews over the internet for the streetcar. On a good note, the car was standing room only Saturday night, so people were still riding it! 

[CLTProductions]

http://bit.ly/1CTLjoK

 

driver officially blamed for the accident. Not as bad as if there was a car failure. Fire this guy. Move on. Train better and leave this behind them

[15895]

http://bit.ly/1CTLjoK

 

driver officially blamed for the accident. Not as bad as if there was a car failure. Fire this guy. Move on. Train better and leave this behind them

I don't think he should be fired if it was a mistake with no prior incidences. 

[tozmervo]

Desk job. Happens all the time in CMPD. 

[nonillogical]

I don't think he should be fired if it was a mistake with no prior incidences. 

It seems like there is some fairly significant incompetence either with the operator himself or the people who trained him, too much to just dismiss as a minor mistake. Even if it never clicked that the active controls were at the other side of the car (over the course of a minute or more), the emergency brakes still would have worked but he never pulled them, and I can't think of much of an excuse for that. Not to mention it would be extremely bad PR to let it get out that this guy is still operating a streetcar. 

[SouthEndCLT811]

Surveillance video from inside the streetcar.

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/queen_city_agenda/2015/07/cats-streetcar-collision-points-to-driver-error.html

 

[Scoopbth]

Unrelated to the accident on Saturday, I think it is strange that there is no published schedule for the gold line.  I don't mind the 20 minute frequency but I would like to be able to use my time efficiently and not guess whether it comes in 1 minute or 19 minutes.  

I have ridden it several times with my wife and daughter (primarily to Earl's - awesome spot) and was pleased to find out that Google transit has the gold line schedule and has been accurate (within 2 minutes) each time going both directions.  I have ridden several different times (peak and non-peak times) and Google maps was correct each time!  I am very excited about this and thought others would be interested to know as well. 

[tozmervo]

CATS comments about published schedule: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article27315601.html

In reality, the thing leaves each end of the route on the 15's (or 20's), so that's relatively predictable, they just don't want to be tied down to it. That's what google transit reflects.

[videtur quam contuor]

I operated the original street car, #85, and was a conductor though not driver on the Gomaco cars when they ran Saturday and Sunday leisure runs until 2008 or 09. Even I know that the emergency brake, a mechanical wheel, lever and cable device, is your friend in troubled time. I told the CATS driver on the Gomaco runs that if he had an emergency such as heart attack or other unexpected event I was ready and willing to stop the car, as the least I could do. The multiple failures that this 67 yo driver had tell me that he has no business operating a car. He created an emergency. The emergency brake is right there next to him. The most dangerous part of any vehicle is the squishy bit at the controls.

[Guest]

I operated the original street car, #85, and was a conductor though not driver on the Gomaco cars when they ran Saturday and Sunday leisure runs until 2008 or 09. Even I know that the emergency brake, a mechanical wheel, lever and cable device, is your friend in troubled time. I told the CATS driver on the Gomaco runs that if he had an emergency such as heart attack or other unexpected event I was ready and willing to stop the car, as the least I could do. The multiple failures that this 67 yo driver had tell me that he has no business operating a car. He created an emergency. The emergency brake is right there next to him. The most dangerous part of any vehicle is the squishy bit at the controls.

You are officially the coolest person not this board. I want to drive a streetcar!

[videtur quam contuor]

I operated the #85 from 2002-2004 when it was suspended for Light rail. I was not an operator on the original street car when it suspended in 1938!

Safety and thinking ahead was always the rule. Just like flying a plane. What to do if such and so happens. What are alternatives to this or that event. Eyes open and mental checklist at each stopping point. Never deviate. Never assume. Always trail your pole. (Not relevant with a modern pantograph)

[Nolan]

We made national news....

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video-shows-charlotte-north-carolina-streetcar-rolling-control/story?id=32617967

[uptownliving]

Rode the streetcar at lunchtime today from Earl's back downtown. Was good to see it was standing room only on the train. Those things are really much louder with the thump thump thump than I remember them being on the blue line. Looking forward to Phase 2 and some modern trams!

[15895]

Rode the streetcar at lunchtime today from Earl's back downtown. Was good to see it was standing room only on the train. Those things are really much louder with the thump thump thump than I remember them being on the blue line. Looking forward to Phase 2 and some modern trams!

Rode the streetcar at lunchtime today from Earl's back downtown. Was good to see it was standing room only on the train. Those things are really much louder with the thump thump thump than I remember them being on the blue line. Looking forward to Phase 2 and some modern trams!

what did you think about it?  Will you use it in the future for connectivity or will you walk?