Houston METRORail Human Factors Safety Analysis - Rice University Human Factors Research Laboratory

The However, these analyses did not address the root cause remaining sections of this report detail the methods used of the user error; why are users continually committing to analyze the system and the specific findings of the life endangering errors? Rice University Human Factors research team. [...] The teams examined the intricacies and functioning of the whole system — the behavior of trains, cars, pedestrians, cyclists, in response to each other, signals, signage, and the built environment — and collected data on operational and user characteristics, incompatibilities between the system and user, and prominent errors. [...] The white the platforms at the Quitman/Northside station edge is likely intended for the pedestrian, but the yellow from the wrong side or location, resulting in and black borders are more noticeable and fit the user’s crossing the rail tracks or entering open road. [...] would like to safely walk from the northbound station to Human factors problem 5: Pedestrians on the the southbound station, or vice versa, proceed directly crosswalk wait for the train to pass in close prox- across the middle of the road which is not a safe crossing imity to the rail tracks. [...] Figure 32 presents a poorly designed sign Possible actions: with small text that is not well placed; the sign currently • Elongate the fencing to the edge of the street to com- lowers the wiring of the fence making it easier to go over pletely block direct access to the rail tracks from the the fencing.