Stories
Inconvenient Death
By Noel Gallego | Published Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009
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The eastbound Orange Line trolley leaving Lemon Grove at 4:44 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, collided with a bicycle rider at the Greenwood Cemetery grade crossing. The bicyclist died at the scene. San Diego Police Department personnel immediately closed off the area for investigation.
“I’m sorry, folks, we have a delay because of the accident on the tracks,” said Vincent Castro, the Orange Line operator at the Massachusetts Avenue station. “We will be stopping at the 47th Street trolley station and there will be a ‘bus bridge’ to the 32nd and Commercial station. You also have a choice of taking the bus at the Euclid Avenue trolley station.”
Fortunately, MTS bus route #4, which follows a parallel path westward to the 12th and Imperial trolley station, arrived at Euclid Avenue trolley station at the same time. There was a mass exodus of riders who did not want to wait for the bus bridge at 47th Street.
“I don’t want to be late for my work at 6:00,” said Phillip Jackson as he ran from the trolley to the route 4 bus. The bus was packed with people like sardines in a can, but Jackson left the bus at 16th and Imperial Avenue and ran to his worksite just as the Saint Vincent De Paul bell struck the 6 o’clock hour.
At around 7:00 p.m., the MTS operations supervisor said they were sending every other trolley through the area.
“At 7:30 p.m. the San Diego Police Department cleared the accident site,” said Metropolitan Transit System marketing director Judy Leitner. “All the Orange Line trolleys were back on normal schedule.”
I feel sorry for bike riders in general since they don't have a chance when hitting something as big as a trolley. The cemetary setting is not a surprise. Condolences to the family of the bicylist.
By mh91945 4:12 p.m., Nov 25, 2009 > Report it
my condolences too...but my question is this...when is a tragic death ever "convenient"?
By magicsfive 8:55 p.m., Nov 25, 2009 > Report it
Excellent point, magics, and one that should not have to be made. We need to better accommodate cyclists, and encourage commuters on bike by building safer bike paths. Cyclists are helping to save our environment!
By SDaniels 10:03 p.m., Nov 25, 2009 > Report it
We support your view, SDaniels, regarding the use of environmental friendly transportation. The Sierra Club of San Diego promotes more bike paths and MoveSanDiego promotes busways and rail lines that are dedicated. So instead of mass transportation budget reductions, we should have more funds invested into the infrastructure to keep our air clean and save on our gasoline costs.
By Microsoft92114 10:02 a.m., Nov 27, 2009 > Report it
So true, Microsoft. Do you belong to the Sierra Club, or any other organizations promoting better accommodation for cyclists, and petitioning/protesting the budget cuts for mass transit?
By SDaniels 10:23 a.m., Nov 27, 2009 > Report it
I know I'll be verbally assaulted for this but...
You know what brings clean air? Rain. Rain brings clean air. It never rains in Southern California. If all cars were to disappear completely the air quality would be noticably cleaner but it would smell like horses***. Either way, you wouldn't be able to breathe. The air quality would still be pretty bad though. Rain and snow bring in cleaner air. No rain, no clean air. Air quality still s***ty.
By PistolPete 12:20 p.m., Nov 27, 2009 > Report it
interesting, pete :) and i do notice the cleaner air here in WA...though i long for the dirty air of san diego :)
By magicsfive 3:24 p.m., Nov 27, 2009 > Report it
I'll tell you what, San Diego air is MUCH cleaner than Los Angeles air.
By refriedgringo 3:33 p.m., Nov 27, 2009 > Report it
I can't argue with logic, refried.
By PistolPete 8:21 p.m., Nov 27, 2009 > Report it
Sure? ;)
By SDaniels 10:25 p.m., Nov 27, 2009 > Report it
It's rained off and on all night here in CMR. Figures. Today is moving day. At least the air will be cleaner. I'll have to smoke more cigarettes today. ;-D
By PistolPete 5:27 a.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
CMR? - Clairemont Mesa Ranch? Center for Mental Retardation? Chicken Masturbators Resort? Chunky Monkey Republic?
By gofurry 12:35 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
All of the above?
By rickeysays 12:46 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
I think I figured CMR out. Carmel Mountain Ranch. I bet PP is moving from that Section 8 housing west of the I-15 to another Taxpayer - sucked - dry housing project somewhere else. (I hope I'm wrong, though).
By gofurry 8:08 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
CMR is Carmel Mountain Ranch. He's said so before.
By antigeekess 8:59 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
Whew! Mystery solved. Thank you, AG!!
By gofurry 10:32 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
Yes, because we've all lost hours and hours of sleep contemplating what CMR is. The endless amount of time on Google, scratch pads demolished, children dying, humanity suffering. Thankfully, all resolved now ;)
By refriedgringo 11:02 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
I think that all this concern about CMR caused water to come from the sky and form large poodles (?) or puddles (?) on the ground and many traffic accidents.
By gofurry 11:07 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
It has to be the poodles. There's no way that less than an inch of rain could possibly cause 250 car accidents in one day.
By refriedgringo 11:42 p.m., Nov 28, 2009 > Report it
I often wonder, any time I have to drive anywhere, if someone gave a bunch of monkeys cars. 250 accidents the first day it rains supports my theory.
By rickeysays 12:58 a.m., Nov 29, 2009 > Report it
It's a California thing, Rickey. Apparently, other areas in the U.S. don't have this problem. The mind boggles.
By refriedgringo 1:01 a.m., Nov 29, 2009 > Report it
You'd be wrong there, gofurry. It's hard to find $2,200 a month Section 8 housing anywhere. Even in SoCal. Nope. No Section 8 for this boy.
By PistolPete 7:36 p.m., Nov 29, 2009 > Report it
San Diego County shouldn't become like L.A. and I think that we need to act on the areas that prevent that. I vote for more "green" transportation. I like the idea of MoveSanDiego.org of dedicated bike lanes and busways like the model in Australia. This coming semester I hope to volunteer more in getting more funding for mass transportation that is "cool and fast" so it becomes better to ride instead of drive. I hope to get a bike as well since San Diego has normally pretty sunny weather.
By Foster75 8:29 a.m., Nov 30, 2009 > Report it
Well, I got a bike but stories like this make me think twice about using it much. If San Diego gets cool mass transportation that is safe, I like the idea of saving gas by using my bike in partnership with buses and trolleys or trains on dedicated routes.
By JFoster 3:52 p.m., Dec 6, 2009 > Report it