Improvements made to Rail Runner crossings; safety review complete

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Rio Metro Transit

In New Mexico, Rail Runner has made safety improvements at crossings in Santa Fe, following a collaborative four-month review of the crossings by Rio Metro Regional Transit District, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT), the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) and the city of Santa Fe.

 

Improvements to the crossings ranged from sign and pavement marking improvements to new gates at rail trails. Rail Runner trains resumed operating at normal speeds through the corridor beginning on December 9.

“The amount of pedestrian and bicycle activity in and around these crossings had increased in the last couple of years,” said Terry Doyle, director of Rio Metro Regional Transit District. “We wanted to make sure we were doing all we could in the way of making these crossings as safe as possible for those who use them.”

Over the past 120 days, all agencies involved conducted a diagnostic review of the 14 crossings in the Santa Fe area and gathered input from FRA safety experts to make sure that the highest appropriate level of safety was being provided at the crossings. Improvements were identified and then implemented as necessary. During that time, trains operated at slower speeds through the crossings and flaggers were regularly stationed at the crossings to provide warning.

“Throughout this whole effort, maintaining safety in the Rail Runner was our number one concern,” said Dewey Cave, executive director for the Mid-Region Council of Governments, the agency that operates the Rail Runner Express. “We were very fortunate to have members of the FRA, the PRC, NMDOT and the city of Santa Fe working with us to review these crossings. We wanted to make sure we were doing all we could to ensure that our crossings are as safe as they can be for bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as those traveling through them in their vehicles.”

 

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