"It's not the bus that's creating the problem; it's the motorists who are running red lights," said Councilman Dennis Zine. "If not the bus, they would've hit something else."
Some safety experts warn that collisions between buses and other vehicles could be far more dangerous to riders than those between vehicles and trains.
"When you have a rail collision, it is very rare that passengers get injured," said Tom Rubin, a former MTA official who has worked as a consultant to busway opponents. "With buses, you don't have the same weight ratio. A bus is more likely to get knocked around, and it's more likely to overturn."
Safety at public transit crossings has been a chronic problem in the Los Angeles area -- one some officials attribute to many drivers' lack of familiarity with public transportation.
"It's a learning curve. Once the public gets adjusted, I think we'll be fine, but people need to realize this busway exists," said LAPD Capt. Ronald Marbrey of the Valley Traffic Division.
Councilman Jack Weiss said that "the types of negligent driving" have also plagued the light rail Blue Line between Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles.
"It's not the fault of the line," Weiss said. "L.A. drivers have had a hard time understanding that they need to share the road with mass transit."
Even so, Weiss said that who was at fault was less important than preventing future accidents.
"If the Orange Line is basically a train on rubber wheels, maybe the warning systems to drivers should be similar as well," he said.
Near the site of the Valley Glen accident, some neighbors said the occurrence of a crash involving the busway had been just a matter of time. Friends Steve Pepper and Lisa Freedman had in recent days discussed the likelihood of accidents. Freedman had predicted a crash there within a month. Pepper had said it would occur within 10 days.
"It's very unnerving," Freedman said of the intersection. "It's so confusing for your eyes to see lights all over the place. It's really poorly designed."
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Times staff writer Megan Garvey contributed to this report.
