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RIVERDALE - Railway corp. to improve safety on Hamburg Tpke.
(by Donna Rolando - Managing Editor - September 03, 2008)
RIVERDALE - Safety upgrades to the Hamburg Turnpike railroad crossing where a freight train hit a Pontiac in January have become a “high priority” for the state.
When it comes to New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp. sites, “this crossing is number one on our list,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Greeley.
Greeley said that DOT is taking seriously the Borough of Riverdale’s request for a safer crossing, which came after a New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway Corp. train struck a 1994 Pontiac, injuring its Bloomingdale driver on Jan. 14. The 8:13 p.m. crash cut off traffic on commuter-heavy Hamburg Turnpike.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office recently announced that its investigation into the train crash had concluded that Pontiac driver Tamer Kassis, then 18, did nothing criminal to contribute to the impact near Tilcon quarry. Riverdale Sgt. Greg Bogert, head of the police traffic bureau, said that authorities attributed the crash to driver inattention on the part of Kassis.
In any case, no summonses were issued to Kassis, who went through a tremendous ordeal, originally being declared in critical condition at Morristown Memorial Hospital.
January’s accident is one of few that officials remember at the crossing; however, DOT placed credence on borough concerns that a safer crossing is necessary.
Greeley said that DOT looked at many factors – everything from crash data to traffic volume, sight distance and width of the roadway – in determining that the Hamburg Turnpike crossing should be a top concern. Traffic volume alone is significant as that area of Hamburg Turnpike hosts on average 16,000 vehicles a day, according to DOT.
“We’re hoping to begin construction early in 2009,” said Greeley about a proposed $10,000 gate installation project.
Speaking for the railroad, spokesperson Melanie Bayer said, “The safest crossing is no crossing, but barring that, the safest thing is gates and lighting.” When gates are installed, which she thinks will be the case at the Hamburg Turnpike site in question, “this will be much safer,” she said. Bayer added that drivers are part of the formula for safety and should never drive around lower gates.
Mayor William Budesheim said that state progress on the Hamburg crossing is certainly good news, something he has been trying to achieve for several years.
Further increasing the chance of accidents, he said, is that people don’t treat the flashing light – the crossing’s only warning signal – with the respect they give a red light or stop sign. They will try to beat the train if they don’t see it, he said.
In addition to the Hamburg Turnpike crossing, Budesheim has also requested that DOT give its attention to other crossings, including the one at Mathews Avenue due to its spike in traffic volume, and also at Post Lane where he said weeds can obscure motorists’ vision of the tracks.
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