Blind spots on Edmonton transit buses leave pedestrians at risk: union

Blind spots on transit buses pose a significant risk to pedestrians, where approximately one person is struck by a bus every 10 days in North America, according to the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).

Cheaper buses, a choice which is good for taxpayers’ money, have resulted in poorer designs, the union’s safety specialist said while in Edmonton Monday.

“North American buses are designed with an emphasis on being as cheap as possible, which in some ways is good, but when it comes to something like this, it resulted in a lot of pedestrian fatalities in North America,” Brian Sherlock said.

“The element in here, the frame, is only that big and cheap fibre glass construction, poorly chosen mirrors, and more poorly chosen side windows have resulted in enormous obstruction.”

The union boasts over 190,000 members across North America and is the largest labour union representing transit and allied workers in the U.S. and Canada.

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The ATU speculates that the death of an 88-year-old lady struck by an Edmonton Transit bus earlier this month bus may have been the result of her being in the bus’ blind spot.

According to the ATU, good design involves having the bus’ side mirror being below the sidelines, and doing away with surplus fibre glass, rubber and aluminum, leaving behind a narrower frame, one which is narrow enough to not obstruct bus driver’s vision.

North American buses currently have a combination of wider ‘A’ frames, mirrors that obstruct driver’s vision, wider pillars, thicker rope seals, and doors that are not made entirely of glass. A phenomenon occurs where a blind spot falls into the same pattern with the pedestrian, thus syncing the travelling pedestrian with the moving bus.

“The blind spot itself, the pillar and the mirror, are about a foot wide and a metre from the driver,” Sherlock said. “So one metre out from the bus that’s now two-feet wide. And if you go across from an intersection, that same ratio is there.

“So if a bus approaches an intersection, that whole corner to the left is going to be difficult to see at best. Then as the bus makes a left turn and the pedestrian crosses, there’s a synchrony that occurs in these tragedies where the blind spot tracks the pedestrian the whole time.”

Shorter bus drivers’ visions are more susceptible to blind spots as they are more confined by the large steering wheel, making it harder to see pedestrians, Sherlock said.

According to the Steve Bradshaw, President of ATU Local 569, the city is receptive to their concerns.

“The city is very much interested in what we have to say here. The first time I spoke to them they were like, ‘Steve, that hasn’t even been on our radar, tell us more.’ Dialogue is wide open; they want to talk to us,” he said.

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Ripping out the ‘A’ pillar would be expensive for the city, but simply retrofitting side mirrors would be an effective solution, the union suggests.

Engineers working with the ATU have found that reducing blind spots to existing buses would cost approximately $270 per vehicle.

Pedestrians are advised to be vigilant when crossing the street to not put them at risk by falling into a blind spot.

“I really watch out. Make sure you can see the driver. Otherwise they cannot see you. Try not to get into that position of synchrony with the position of the mirror and the position of the pillar as they turn otherwise you’ve got to run. They may not be able to see you,” Sherlock advised.

READ MORE: Edmonton bus driver charged in fatal pedestrian collision

Bradshaw and the ATU have pledged to stand by the ETS bus driver who was charged in the collision.

“Our member is deeply traumatized by this. I don’t want to get into this about her, I want to respect her privacy, but it is well-known that she is deeply traumatized and we feel really badly for her and we will stand by her, we will stick by her.”