Smoking on VRE Platforms Could Be Banned
The CEO of the Virginia Railway Express will ask for the public’s opinion about a possible ban on smoking near train platforms before and after boarding.
The Virginia Railway Express Operations Board voted last week to authorize the CEO to solicit public comments through email, letter and phone about a proposed amendment to the VRE smoking policy.
At the May 18 meeting, the board discussed changing the current VRE policy, which limits smoking to the first 100 feet at the north end of station platforms. Smoking isn't permitted on trains.
VRE board member and Manassas Park City Councilman Suhas Naddoni told the board that he would like to see designated smoking areas away from non-smoking passengers, because of the dangers of second-hand smoke.
VRE board Chairman Wally Covington of Prince William County said that his jurisdiction would likely support a smoking ban at VRE stations.
CEO Dale Zehner told the board that it is important for the smoking policies to be consistent at all VRE stops.
VRE board member Sharon Bulova of Fairfax County said that it seemed like the majority of jurisdictions along the VRE line have, or will have smoking bans.
She suggested having a no-smoking policy on the platform, but said ashtrays would still be allowed in the parking lot away from crowds.
Here’s what some of the other public transit systems in the area are doing:
- The Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA): Smoking is prohibited in all WMATA vehicles—Metrobus, Metrorail and official vehicles—and facilities. Smoking is also prohibited within a 25-foot radius of any entrance, exit, or passageway that is an entrance or egress for a WMATA facility. The smoking policy at bus shelters and outside of Metrorail stations is based on the smoking ordinance of the local jurisdiction.
- The Fairfax Connector: Smoking is prohibited on buses and inside bus shelters owned by Fairfax County.
- Arlington Transit: Smoking is prohibited inside the buses.
Janet
6:08 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
When will Alexandria and Arlington Patches show us a photo of a state of the art articulated bus?
Peter
6:48 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Never. The Arlington VIPs who want streetcars in Arlington and Alexandria have ordered the local media not to discuss articulated buses. Only blog that will do is is the Arlington Yupette. You can also google 'Wright streetcar articulated bus' if you want to see what they look like.
julie
9:00 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
F Y I - June 21st is the last day for the public to submit comments about Columbia Pike transit to info@piketransit.com
julie
9:02 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
If you want to see what a 21st Century articulated bus looks like, just google "Wright streetcar articulated bus" and "Las Vegas Ace bus"
john davidson
11:12 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
VRE board member and Manassas Park City Councilman Suhas Naddoni told the board that he would like to see designated smoking areas away from non-smoking passengers, because of the dangers of second-hand smoke.
Scientific Evidence Shows Secondhand Smoke Is No Danger
Written By: Jerome Arnett, Jr., M.D.
Published In: Environment & Climate News
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Publisher:
http://www.heartland
.org/policybot/resul
ts/23399/Scientific_
Evidence_Sho...
myth-of-second-hand-
smoke
http://yourdoctorsor
ders.com/2009/01/the
-myth-of-second-hand
-smoke
BS Alert: The 'third-hand smoke' hoax
http://www.examiner.com/public-policy-in-louisville/bs-alert-the-third-hand-smoke-hoax
The thirdhand smoke scam
http://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com/2010/02/thirdhand-smoke-scam.html
Heart attacks Frauds and Myths..
http://www.spiked-on
line.com/index.php/s
ite/article/7451/
john davidson
11:12 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
OSHA / NIOSH RESEARCH
In 1991 NIOSH { OSHA' research group} Looked into ETS although at the time they recommended reducing ETS exposure they found the studies lacking.
NIOSH recognizes that these recent epidemiological studies have several shortcomings: lack of objective measures for charachterizing and quantifying exposures,failures to adjust for all confounding variables,potential misclassification of ex-smokers as non-smokers,unavailability of comparison groups that have not been exposed to ETS, and low statistical power.
Research is needed to investigate the following issues:
1. More acurate quantification of the increased risk of lung cancer associated with ETS exposure,including determination of other contributing factors[e.g.,occupational exposures]that may accentuate the risk.
2.Determination of the concentration and distributuion of ETS components in the workplace to help quantify the risk for the U.S. working population.
john davidson
11:13 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
a.The association of ETS exposure with cancer other than lung cancer
b.The relationship between ETS exposure and cardiovascular disease
c.The relationship between ETS exposure and nonmalignant resporatory diseases such asthma,bronchitis and emphysema, and
the effects of ETS on lung function and respiratory systems
c. Possible mechanisms of ETS damage to the cardiovascular system,such as platelet aggravation,increased COHb leading to oxygen depravation,or damage to endothelium
d.Effects of workplace smoking restrictions on the ETS exposure of nonsmokersand ETS-related health effects in nonsmokers
After ten years of no conclusive research and lack of studies that didn't eliminate the bias OSHA decided that the studies did not have substance and here is there present policy.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
john davidson
11:13 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Because the organic material in tobacco doesn't burn completely, cigarette smoke contains more than 4,700 chemical compounds. Although OSHA has no regulation that addresses tobacco smoke as a whole, 29 CFR 1910.1000 Air contaminants, limits employee exposure to several of the main chemical components found in tobacco smoke. In normal situations, exposures would not exceed these permissible exposure limits (PELs), and, as a matter of prosecutorial discretion, OSHA will not apply the General Duty Clause to ETS.
julie
5:57 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
This is all pretty ridiculous. In Arlington there's a new outdoor soccer field complex in a park named Long Bridge Park. Right under the flight path of planes landing at National Airport. Adjacent to VRE-CSX tracks. Adjacent to the Pentagon Power Plant. Adjacent to the GW Parkway and I-395. So kids get a big dose of Diesel-Jet engine-Power plant-Vehicle exhaust pollution while playing soccer and no one cares.