Cuomo, MTA Call On Feds To Improve Safety At Railroad Crossings
BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Governor Andrew Cuomo and the MTA have called on the federal government to make railroad crossings safer.
As CBS2's Ali Bauman reported, the call comes after a Metro North Harlem line train crashed into a stopped car at the Green Lane crossing in Bedford Hills.
There were no injuries, but the driver whose car was hit by an oncoming train in has been issued a summons for blocking a railroad crossing.
Authorities said the health aide and her 87-year-old passenger fled to safety seconds before the train smashed into their car. It happened Wednesday at the Green Lane crossing in Bedford Hills.
The women were shaken but physically unharmed. The front of the car was demolished.
According to the Journal News, the aide told authorities she tried to put the car in reverse as a crossing gate came down on it. A passenger said the train halted abruptly then a transit worker ran up the aisle saying "Oh my God.''
Crews spent several hours removing the car, which set off major delays on the Harlem line during rush hour.
Transit officials said the gate and signals were operating properly.
Gov. Cuomo issued a statement Thursday saying, "these accidents are all too frequent and devastating."
"These crossings have caused numerous deaths for years and it happens all across the state. I will not accept the premise that there is nothing we can do," he said. "My administration has contacted the federal government, charged with approving grade modifications, and informed them that we must go forward immediately with new design features that create safer crossings."
MTA Chairman and CEO Tom Prendergast said the agency has "several changes that we believe can be helpful and we look forward to refining them with federal government and deploying them as soon as possible."
"Grade crossings are a chronic problem going back to the beginnings of the railroad system in America," he said in a statement. "No matter, it is our problem to solve - and we will."
On Feb. 3, 2015, a Harlem line train collided with a Mercedes Benz SUV, which was sitting on the tracks at the Commerce Street grade crossing in Valhalla, killing the driver and five passengers in the lead car.
The potential changes include motion detectors, painting danger areas on the street, voice commands, and public information campaigns.
"If you needed to you could come up and around this crossing, point your cameras, and look a car could come right around and try to beat it,"Westchester County Legislator, Francis Corcoran said.
Corcoran said the problem is people too often try to beat approaching trains by driving around the descending gates. He said the solution is security cameras.
"To make people aware you are being watched, and then God forbid something happened to go back and review and address the situation and correct it," he said.
Beford Hills residents said the more safety provisions the better.
"If people are not paying attention we have a lot more on the radio, the phones, so much going on," Kathy Faller said.
The governor said he has already directed the MTA to have plans presented next week and hopes the federal government does not wait in approving the plans.
Since the accident, the federal government has committed $350 million for grade crossing improvements and another $6.5 million for a public awareness campaign.
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