GSC wrote:If they aren't declared "exempt", you have to stop.
I couldn't have said it better myself, and I say it a lot.
None of the crossings being rebuilt for Seashore Lines were actually 'exempt' under the law. Once the signs and signals were removed the safety stop was no longer required. If the signs have been removed a "Tracks Out of Service" sign should be posted (but often isn't) until the rails are removed or paved over.
Under New Jersey law only signaled crossings can be exempted and then only after the Commissioner of Transportation rules that there is higher probability of a collision resulting from the safety stop than from the regulated vehicle colliding with a train. This is why you see them almost exclusively where heavily traveled roads cross lightly used or out of service railroad lines. The Rt 37 crossing mentioned above is a prime example of this. Even if the line were still in service with one or two turns into Ciba-Geigy, the likelihood of a truck or bus being rear ended by someone who did not pay attention to the advance warning sign seems far higher than that truck or bus being hit by or hitting a train which only entered the roadway after the lights were activated. The other end of the spectrum are crossings such as those on the North Coast with a high frequency of trains at a much higher speed and therefore the increased likelihood of a train related collision.
From a bus driver's perspective it doesn't matter whether the line is out of service, the rails are connected, how often you think trains are run, or the grass is 4 feet high. What matters is that there is a crossing with a sign and/or warning lights. You may know from reading this forum that the rail ends are hanging in the air at Rt 539 and that the connection hasn't been restored at Lakehurst. It doesn't matter. You are still making the stop, and are going to make the stop until either the crossing is declared exempt or the signs are taken down and crossing paved over.
Before anybody asks - The crossing on Rt 530 in downtown Whiting requires the safety stop despite the traffic light. The governing sign is the crossbuck and NJ law does not allow the exception.
The exemption process takes a while and involves a public hearing. There is a hearing being planned for Rt 539 and my understanding is that Rt 530 will be included.
Until the signs go up make the stop. My personal view is that 530 is a prime candidate for exemption because of the traffic lights and the potential for confusion with vehicles seeming to stop for a green light. 539 is also a good candidate because of the highway curves. When the hearing is scheduled I will post it here.
GSC - When I do school bus and commercial driver presentations I've found that the feed back from the drivers is a valuable source of information on crossings which need work or revision. If there are any specific comments you have as a bus driver, or for that matter any one else here might have, about sight lines, visibility, bad surfaces, inadequate containment on the far side, and so forth I would appreciate hearing about them. You can either PM me here or thru the New Jersey Operation Lifesaver Facebook page.
