We spoke with someone who has driven the train at the Louisville Zoo for a number of years.
They told us the following:
The train? It always de-rails or gets stuck at the point where the June 1 accident occurred. Regardless of the train being used.
The problem? Driving too fast.
You’ve got your staffers spilling the beans. They’re alleging it happens all the time, that it’s no secret the train jumps the tracks at that point. All this despite a recent Zoo email blast alleging no derailments have occurred in two years.
Over the past two years, the Zoo has not had any train derailments (when a wheel loses contact with the track).
So, Dear Zoo, what gives?
Cause it seems like someone at the Zoo is trying to keep the whole story from seeing the light of day. And that concerns us a great deal.
17 responses so far ↓
1 Steve // Jun 9, 2009 at 11:55 am
If the Little Engine That Crashed isn’t sufficiently scandalous, you should drive by the zoo and discover what a tangled mess the City has made of Trevilian Way.
There’s no way that project could ever pass any honest cost-benefit anaylsis.
And during a budget crisis, no less!
Neighbors vigorously opposed it, but the City indifferently plodded ahead with it.
It was a dumb idea, and there’s plenty of tire rubber on the curbs to prove it.
2 jake // Jun 9, 2009 at 11:57 am
Per my understanding, Metro Council is working to improve traffic in the area – after months and months of push-back from Jerry Abramson.
3 le gardien de but // Jun 9, 2009 at 11:59 am
I am not an attorney; but it would seem to me that if this were true, then a MAJOR lawsuit because of “criminal negligence” or just plain “negligence is sure to follow….
As a Professional Engineer who has been on the periphery of such lawsuits–Keep no records or perfect records!!! Half arsed records will be a cross examination night mare…
Once more–deja vouze all over again–the wicked web we weave when we first attempt to deceive……
4 le gardien de but // Jun 9, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Steve: I could not said it better; I drove by there yesterday–”what a tangled mess the City has made of Trevilian Way.” How wasteful & pathetic…
You are much kinder than I. You also forgot the drop in gasoline mileage & hence unnecessary waste of slowing down to navigate & re accelerating; also a high energy cost folks testing their ‘vettes around those curves when the police aren’t watching–a tempting proposition…
Why do we not have like they have in California–a “proposition” system whereby the people can over rule the politicians…
5 Steve // Jun 9, 2009 at 12:12 pm
re: Trevilian Way Improvements
Note that only some neighbors opposed it. Most applaud the efforts taken by the city to slow down traffic on this stretch of road where two fatalaties occurred due to speeding in a 18 month stretch.
Tire tracks on the curbs would only go to prove people are still traveling too fast in this well marked 15mph construction site.
Also note that emergency personnel navigated the construction just fine in getting ambulances, fire trucks, squad cars, and other emergency personnel into the zoo within 6 minutes of the accident being called out.
re: Zoo train accident
It’s only a matter of time before more people talk, and the zoo will end up embarrassed for not sharing the simplest of information in a timely manner.
6 le gardien de but // Jun 9, 2009 at 12:35 pm
If the goal for the city is to “slow down traffic on this stretch of road”, then let’s try one of those devices that tells the driver his/her speed; followed up by a “police presence”…
If that does not work, try a couple of traffic lights second; of course include a “police presence” if necessary. Either of these solutions would be a damn sight cheaper than what the city spent. How many jobs could have been saved? Was there an “earmark”? Who knows…
7 jake // Jun 9, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Council folks tell me there were hundreds of complaints about traffic in the area.
And they’ve tried the speed monitoring devices.
(According to them)
8 James R. // Jun 9, 2009 at 3:02 pm
The Trevillian Way mess should NEVER have happened when this community has a huge deficit like it does. It is no wonder that Louisville has a huge deficit.
The Zoo wanted a new entrance and Jim King pushed this project over the objections of the residents who live near by. I know that my Metro Council member did not support this. As for speeding tickets, according to a neighborhood activist who lives next to the Zoo, the city showed where 3 tickets had been given over the previous 6 months. Big Wooo! Hiring police officers is cheaper than building new roads.
The City can find millions of dollars to spend when it wants to spend it. I am getting tired of watching irresponsible city spending coming from the Mayor and some on Metro Council.
Building new roads when not needed and rehabbing bars are not city responsibilities.
Perhaps it is time for a change of elected officials in local office.
9 Carlos Rodriguez // Jun 9, 2009 at 4:07 pm
The train is operated by volunteers who are not drug checked or sufficiently monitored. One volunteer has Parkinson’s Disease yet he operates the train full of passengers. This seems a little overly risky to me.
10 jake // Jun 9, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Um, the train is operated by employees of the Zoo.
11 Ray Re // Jun 9, 2009 at 5:32 pm
It’s the polar bear union. Build their ice house or this is just the beginning of the chaos, bitches.
12 Steve // Jun 9, 2009 at 5:38 pm
For the record, I am not schizophrenic.
I am Steve #1 (the first Steve to comment, using the name I’ve always used).
The second Steve to comment has been roundly rebuked by those who believe the logical, rational public-policy solution to speeding is better law enforcement (as opposed of turning perfectly straight roads into curvilnear obstacle courses — with OUR tax dollars).
Brain farts like this turn otherwise rational citizens into rabid beasts.
It’s just a supremely, incomprehensibly stupid waste of money.
The vast majority of neighbors opposed the mess. And now that we’ve got to drive through the result, we’re even more disgusted.
13 Steve (#2) // Jun 9, 2009 at 6:01 pm
To clarify, and with apologies to the 1st Steve, I’m the second one to post.
I am all for greater enforcement of the speed limit in the Trevilian Way area in front of the zoo, though I’m content enough with police presence protecting the community. Assigning officers to park and issue tickets is a waste of money and a valuable resource.
jake is correct – the speed monitoring device was tried twice.
A study was conducted at the intersection of Trevilian and Illinois near the zoo. The results: too busy for a 4-way stop, not busy enough for a traffic light.
Again, note that emergency personnel had NO problem navigating the road at high speeds when seconds counted.
There are alternate routes to take if you cannot avoid scuffing your tires navigating these turns, or are concerned about a decrease in gas mileage.
14 Steve #1 // Jun 9, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Steve #2 writes, “I am all for greater enforcement of the speed limit in the Trevilian Way area in front of the zoo, though I’m content enough with police presence protecting the community.”
Surely you don’t mean to suggest that speed enforcement doesn’t help protect the community.
Nothing discourages speeding more than an outrageously pricey ticket (let alone three-and-a-half hours of traffic school). Monitors are a joke. They don’t provide law enforcement, only informational feedback.
I don’t doubt that many have complained to the council about traffic problems.
They could have been solved by better enforcement (citations) and a long turning lane eastward from Illinois Ave. to the zoo’s entrance.
To any who may believe that the solution to speeding is to twist straight roads, I’m glad you’re not mayor. Because there are numerous, more dangerous stretches than Trevilian.
Lastly, I doubt that doubling the distance I would travel to Newburg Rd. via an alternative route would save gas.
15 Susie // Jun 9, 2009 at 8:11 pm
To comment on Steve #1′s highly analytical and incredibly insightful views on this: really? REALLY?! I live right across the street from the zoo. More police presence? I thought there was just a cutback. Added manpower as opposed to slowing down the traffic? Hmmmm. Which one is more cost-effective? I have had the coroner parked on my front yard twice and have assisted with too many accidents at the corner of Illinois and Trevilian to count.
Could it possibly be that some of those tire tracks on the temporary outlay be yours? Are you losing time during rush hour because you can’t speed through my neighborhood? I smell brain farts, but I believe they’re emanating from you, my dear.
16 James R. // Jun 10, 2009 at 12:44 pm
A simple red light would have been much much less expensive that the rerouting of a road. This would have slowed traffic, and would have solved the problem suggested by others.
It would have solved this problem with a whole lot less money than was spent on this boondoogle. What did this mess that Jim King pushed so hard cost the citizens of Louisville? How is it more cost effective than a simple red light? Could it be because the Louisville Zoo wanted a fancy entrance? Yes.
Where is Mark Hebert when you need him?
17 Steve (#3) // Jun 12, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Ah, just kidding you, I’m still #2.
James R.: “A simple red light would have been much much less expensive that the rerouting of a road. This would have slowed traffic, and would have solved the problem suggested by others.”
A traffic study was conducted by the state. Final results from the state department of transportation – “too busy for a 4-way stop sign, not busy enough for a stop light”.
Stop me if you’ve read this one before.
Mark Hebert is at U of L. Read the site.
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