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[CNJRoss]

WBEZ-FM Chicago Public Radio, 9/30:

Curious City
After the accident: Metra and pedestrian fatalities
One listener’s loss raised the question of whether the commuter rail agency's investigations are thorough enough.

Frequent commuters are all too familiar with the pangs of delays: the groans induced by announcements made over a train intercom, or the confusion created when train or bus operators suggest alternative routes, thanks (or no thanks) to weather, mechanical failures, or backups.

Chicago-area Metra riders are no strangers to these feelings, but often these delays are brought on by another, more heart-dropping reason: pedestrian accidents and fatalities. It’s not uncommon for up to 1,300 Metra riders to be held on a train for more than an hour while investigators gather at the scene to determine what happened.

And while many wonder why so many of these accidents happen, or how they can be stopped, a Curious Citizen (who chose to remain anonymous) had us consider this question:

How can a thorough investigation of Metra fatalities be performed when trains are up and running 90 minutes after a fatality?

It’s a bit of a loaded question, of course, as our questioner is basically asking whether a 90-minute timeframe is sufficient to gather evidence.

Continue reading here (or listen to audio report {14:19}.)