Work planned on riskiest Metro North train crossings

Work planned on riskiest train crossings
By Ken Valenti
The Journal News • February 5, 2009
The train crossing at Green Lane in Bedford was already among the riskiest rail-and-roadway intersections in New York before three cars were struck by trains there last year, the last one on New Year's Eve. While no one was injured in the accidents, they are almost certain to boost the crossing's ratings on a federal ranking that weighs the likelihood of train-vs.-car accidents.But while that Metro-North Railroad crossing ranks as the one with the greatest probability of an accident in Westchester, and ranks 13th in the state, it is not the riskiest in the Lower Hudson Valley.

http://www.lohud.com/article/2008902050419


It's amazing it takes this long and this many incidents to get these projects done.

Something has to be done. Green Lane is the most dangerous crossing on all of MNRR. Perhaps MN can install a "Smart Crossing System" like Amtrak uses on the Shore Line. When a car, or other large item is detected by either motion sensors or magentics, any train approaching the crossing will receive more restrictive cab signals. A simpler idea is an emergency phone that is connected directly to the RTC desk to lessen the amount of time it takes getting in touch with the RTC by dialing 911.

It's either completely re-engineer the approaches and exit ramp off the parkway, make it a one-way (entrance only to the Parkway, eliminate the exit option), or eliminate the crossing altogether. You can level the hump, add four-quadrant gates, put deliniators, guides, arrows, lights, sirens, cameras... some mental defect will find a way to drive onto the tracks.

Isn't this the spot were the last few accidents were due to people doing exactly what their GPS system's said?

Unless you eliminate the crossing, nothing is going to prevent that.

mkm4 wrote:Isn't this the spot were the last few accidents were due to people doing exactly what their GPS system's said?

Unless you eliminate the crossing, nothing is going to prevent that.

Yes, Green Lane.

Why can't people just use their heads and not drive on train tracks despite what the GPS says???? Those tracks do not look like a parkway. That's worse than the drivers that have a below average IQ's and stop on the tracks while waiting in traffic.

truck6018 wrote:Why can't people just use their heads and not drive on train tracks despite what the GPS says???? Those tracks do not look like a parkway. That's worse than the drivers that have a below average IQ's and stop on the tracks while waiting in traffic.

Or cross it 'Long Island style', i.e. slow down, stop RIGHT ON THE TRACKS, then go again. Seriously, it's the only place I've ever seen such stupidity...

Green Lane is not as dangerous as its portrayed here. I got called in when the guy from california got stuck on the tracks in jan '08. You can clearly see that its a railroad crossing, you can clearly see a barrier, and if you dont realize your on the railroad tracks when you drive down as far as he did, you need to have your head examined. Hes lucky to be alive with a genesis engine bearing down on him at 80 mph and a 700vdc third rail. The only real dangerous part is that theres a curve south of that crossing.

capecodlocoguy wrote:A simpler idea is an emergency phone that is connected directly to the RTC desk to lessen the amount of time it takes getting in touch with the RTC by dialing 911.

The only thing I don't like about that plan is if you get some kids playing a prank, sooner or later someone will get killed. It's like the boy who cried wolf.

I have run trains over all three of the crossings mentioned in the article and although I struck a tractor trailer truck in
Orangeburg, I never had a problem at New Main Street in Haverstraw nor at Green Lane. I would think Green Lane would be
the worst of the three due to the number of trains using that crossing and their speeds over the crossing. I do not know the
roads in that area too well but if it were possible to close that crossing and route the traffic over a different route, that
would be the best solution to a dangerous crossing.
Higher penalties for stopping on crossings waiting for traffic ahead would help too as would higher penalties for going through the lights or around the gates. A couple of days of concentrated enforcement at the crossings in question might
well work wonders with this situation and it would be far better than more accidents which will surely happen in time.
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:Higher penalties for stopping on crossings waiting for traffic ahead would help too as would higher penalties for going through the lights or around the gates.

Higher penalties? I already thought risking going around the gates might end up in you paying the ultimate price! Unfortunately, people react more to their wallets than their lives.

Noel Weaver wrote:A couple of days of concentrated enforcement at the crossings in question might
well work wonders with this situation and it would be far better than more accidents which will surely happen in time.
Noel Weaver

I agree, it's worth a try.

Noel Weaver wrote: A couple of days of concentrated enforcement at the crossings in question might
well work wonders with this situation and it would be far better than more accidents which will surely happen in time.
Noel Weaver

I've heard of some crossings where they install red light cameras and give tickets to people for going around the gates the same as going through a red light. I'm not sure if you have those cameras back east yet, but they sure make you think twice when the light turns yellow at a traffic light.

I noticed last Wednesday that roadway is now lined with white plastic marker poles (with reflectors) of about 3 feet high. including up to clearance mark and in between the two tracks.
Now we just need a GPS marker that says " not here stupid"

Those reflective markers scared the #$%^ out of quite a few crews who work late at night/early in the morning, when you came around the corner and suddenly saw something reflective on the crossing, from far off it almost looked like the safety reflector strips on the side of a semi.

My thought when I saw the reflectors, is did this make crossing less safe ??? now engineers get used to reflectors on crossing, so next time a car or truck is stuck they will think its just pole reflectors.