Caltrain to ramp up safety strategy following crossing incidents

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Caltrain

Caltrain is working to develop and promote new strategies for encouraging safe behavior around its railroad tracks following a series of incidents in which vehicles illegally stopped at rail crossings and caused collisions with oncoming trains.

 

Three of the seven vehicle collisions this year have occurred in Burlingame, Calif. Two of the incidents occurred at Broadway Avenue and a third took place at Bayswater Avenue. The circumstances for each incident vary, two involved drivers unfamiliar with the area and in one case, the driver was unlicensed and another was a hit and run where the vehicle operator left the scene.

Caltrain notes that while the nature of these incidents makes them difficult to prevent, what’s clear is that more can be done to warn drivers as they approach the tracks to take extra precautions.

“Our first responsibility is to the safe operation of rail service. Running 92 trains per day on a corridor with more than 40 roadway crossings presents a unique set of challenges. Those challenges have become more difficult with increased traffic congestion and more drivers, cyclists and pedestrians crossing our tracks on a daily basis,” said Jim Hartnett, executive director of Caltrain. “We are responding to recent events by increasing the visibility of our law enforcement presence at key crossings along our corridor and redoubling our outreach and education efforts to make drivers more aware of the extra caution needed when driving near active railroad tracks. At the same time, we are working with local cities to explore engineering and traffic management solutions.”

At Broadway Avenue, Caltrain is working with the city to add pavement striping to the existing gates and signals to make clear to drivers the limits that should be observed on both sides of the tracks to avoid a collision with a train. Caltrain is also working with the city to explore improved signal timing for drivers waiting at the Rollins Road signal. Traffic at that light, east of the railroad tracks, can back up, causing some drivers to illegally block the tracks in an attempt to make the signal cycle. According to Caltrain engineers, this problem may be exacerbated by the ongoing interchange construction at Broadway Avenue and Highway 101. At Bayswater Avenue in Burlingame, the rail operator is also exploring improved pavement striping to more clearly define the track limits. In the interim, Caltrain is planning to increase law enforcement visibility during periods of heavy congestion to warn drivers to stay off the tracks and issue citations to those that violate this law.

Caltrain is conducting a full review of its protocols for restoring service following a disruption and ensuring customers receive timely, accurate information throughout the event. The agency plans to roll out recommendations for streamlined processes in the coming months. The recommendations will include strategies for improving onboard and platform communication with customers throughout the event.

 

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