Each LRT is custom built.  From self contained siesel type of Island Transit, to ours, to the interurban look of DART.  How could the Feds regulate such systems?  Only thing whcih could work on many platforms is the PTS stop system being developed for the freight railroads.

The Feds should look at pedestrians' and bicyclists' risk of getting injured or killed by automobiles.  All the federal legislation since Nader wrote Unsafe At Any Speed has been for protecting automobile passengers with no concern for protecting those most at risk: the people on the the streets.

The rate of injuries per million passenger miles of light rail is negligible.   Motorists are literally getting away with murder while the feds have blown up a few rail incidents completely out of proportion.  The safest place to be on Houston's streets is in a 50-ton light rail car.  

BTW, a LRT car is about as heave as an Amtrak Superliner.  "Light" comes from the rail structure, not car weight!

I agree with Mike H. that pedestrian safety is overlooked. The big problem is that 99.99% of  Houstonians never walk further than from their garage to the back door so they have no idea of what it's like to walk. Even when a pedestrian clearly has the right of way most cars will not yield so even one little mistake will get you killed. I was recently in Las Vegas and it's even worse than Houston if that's possible. The problem there is that most streets are wider and cars are faster so you really take your life in your own hands at every intersection.

@don y

That's faticism....

don y:

Ever crossed Westheimer......@ Post Oak?

I tried it once. After that I cross in the middle of the block at the book store like most others do.