HOUSTON – METRO police are starting a new traffic initiative to crack down on drivers making illegal left turns in lanes shared by the METRO light rail.
Officers say 60 percent of car-versus-train collisions are happening at Dryden Road and Fannin Street, an especially congested intersection in the Texas Medical Center.
"Most of the collisions are caused by illegal left turns," said METRO police Lt. Cedric Buchanan.
There is a legal turn lane, marked by orange and white traffic sticks and signs posted telling drivers what they can and cannot do at the intersection. But METRO police say drivers are still missing the message.
"I think people are in a hurry. It comes down to driver inattention," Lt. Buchanan said.
Now METRO police are stepping up efforts to educate drivers. They're observing troubled intersections during January and warning drivers caught violating the law.
METRO police will begin issuing citations carrying a fine of up to $200 in February.