As Metro light rail operates through its first monsoon season, rainy conditions have exposed safety issues aboard the trains.
When wind and rain hit the Valley on Friday night, water gathered inside trains, on the floors, causing a 53-year-old rider to slip and fall, and hit his back on the stairs.
A nearby passenger hit an emergency button and at the next stop, 19th Avenue and Montebello Road in Phoenix, the train waited about 10 minutes for the paramedics to arrive.
Phoenix resident Aaron Foster, 27, rode the light rail for the first time Friday night and said he did not expect the weather to have such a big impact on the trains.
“I was kind of surprised at how much rain there was [inside the train],” Foster said. “People were sliding all over the place.”
Foster said the rain was blowing into the train, and people were bringing water with them as they entered.
“People were walking in soaking wet and getting water all over the place,” Foster said. “[The trains] could have used some mats or something.”
Valley Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said the trains were designed for the desert climate, which includes monsoon weather.
Many of the trains’ features are designed specifically for wet weather; its handles and slip-resistant floors can assist passengers during these particular weather conditions, Foose said.
“We want our passengers to be cautious, just like they would with any slippery surface,” she said.
Foose said there have been several cases where people fell and needed emergency services on the trains, though they were not necessarily related to weather.
All trains are equipped with six emergency call buttons, she said. Once a button is pushed, a call will go to the operator, who calls the control center, which then calls the proper authorities.
Foose said the light rail is inspected and cleaned at the end of every night and there is preventative maintenance every month.
There are maintenance personnel on the light rail during operation hours, she said.
“If we thought that it got to the point that maintenance needed to be brought in . . . we could do that,” Foose said. “So far, we haven’t.”
Reach the reporter at sarah.hotchkiss@asu.edu.
