Houston transit officials are considering removing some left turns along the light rail line in the Texas Medical Center, hoping to reduce collisions between automobiles and trains.

A consultant hired by the Metropolitan Transit Authority advised the agency to consider eliminating left turns along Fannin at Dryden and Bellows. The consultant also suggested Metro put up more pedestrian warnings at the Fannin at Cambridge and Fannin at University intersections.

The recommendations come on the heels of a yearlong effort to improve safety along Metro's light rail lines, following two high-profile rail fatalities during Houston's hosting of Super Bowl LI.

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Metro officials set a goal of nine or fewer crashes per month. For 2018, the goal was lowered to eight crashes monthly.

Metro had 15 crashes last November and 11 in January.

The four Medical Center intersections cited by the consultant, Gunda Corp., are among the most dangerous when it comes to collisions, both involving and not involving the light rail. Of the 15 intersections between Holcombe and Cambridge that Gunda studied, Dryden had the most collisions between April 2014 and March 2017.

Roughly half of the wrecks were at Dryden. Bellows, though not as likely a crash location, also had a high rate when the number of turns there were taken into account.

Cambridge also had a high number of crashes compared to other intersections but is such a busy intersection that the consultants said it did not warrant closing the turn lanes. Of the four intersections Gunda studied in depth, Cambridge had the vast majority of left turns.

Closing the left turn lanes in both directions, however, has a cost, the study found. Travel times would increase by about 50 seconds during the morning and evening from Holcombe to Cambridge. In other words, drivers would sit in slightly more traffic, and travelers likely would find other places to turn.

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'Moving the problem'

"It feels like you are just moving the problem," board member Lisa Castaneda, who also is deputy director of the Harris County Toll Road Authority and a transportation engineer, said of closing the left turns.

Board member Sanjay Ramabhadran, also a civil engineer, agreed.

"I am going to go to the next possible left and come back," he said, saying the effect would be to move all the crashes to one or two intersections.

Any change would require city approval, and heavy coordination with the Texas Medical Center. Metro Vice President Tim Kelly said transit officials would meet with medical center leaders soon.

"I think this allows us to begin a much broader conversation," Metro CEO Tom Lambert said.

Closing the streets would require further study.

"At this point we're open to discussion, but no decision has been made," Houston Public Works Deputy Director Jeff Weatherford said.

Officials at the Texas Medical Center declined to comment Thursday afternoon.

Eliminating left turns would include those in both directions.

That means automobiles would not merge into the lane, potentially in front of oncoming trains, or turn into oncoming light rail vehicles, automobiles or pedestrians crossing the street.

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In the past, Medical Center officials were opposed to reducing locations where drivers could take left turns to access parking garages in the area. Kelly said agreement with TMC officials will be key.

"The real challenge is getting the stakeholders involved," Kelly said. "We're going to talk to the Med Center. We are going to sell improved safety for all of us."

Metro board member Jim Robinson said the center's agreement is crucial.

"If they don't want to do it, we probably won't do it," he said.

Who is to blame?

Metro also hired a consultant to examine safety along the rail line. Philip Adams with Transportation Safety and Security Solutions told Metro officials that while the system has similar practices to its peers around the nation, Houston's "unique" environment requires more aggressive enforcement and efforts to boost driver awareness.

Adams, a nationally recognized transit safety expert, noted 92 percent of the 382 crashes Metro has logged from fiscal 2013 through last Sept. 30 were caused by errors made by automobile drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

That mirrors other light rail and trolley systems, Adams said.

National data, however, indicates Houston has one of the highest crash rates across the U.S. for the past four years.

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"Right now, on average, there is a close call or incident with a pedestrian or motorist every day," Adams said.

He suggested a host of minor changes to Metro's system, many of which transit officials already are pursuing, such as adding flashing lights on the tops of trains. Train operators also blow their horns as they approach stations, a change made after the recent fatalities.

Adams said enforcement plays a role.

"Laws without enforcement are ineffective," he said.

Metro announced earlier this month it would increase police enforcement of locations where illegal turns in front of the train have led to collisions.