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FOX 35 Investigates: The price of railroad safety
FOX 35 investigates the price of railroad safety. More than $6 million dollars is going to upgrade tracks across the county to try and prevent collisions. FOX 35's Esther Bower digs deeper.
ORLANDO, Fla. - FOX 35 investigates safety upgrades at railroad crossings in Brevard County after another near-fatal accident with a car trying to beat a train.
More than $6 million dollars is going to upgrade tracks across the county to try and prevent collisions.
But with another crash this week in Malabar, officials with the Space Coast Transportation and Planning Organization told FOX 35 safety upgrades were already in place at the U.S. 1 and Jordan Boulevard intersection.
It still didn’t stop a car from getting through the crossing arms.
What they're saying:
"I don’t get it, I’ll be honest. I don’t get it," said Terri who drives across tracks in Brevard County.
FHP says the crossing signal was on, and the driver tried to avoid the train but still got hit. Thankfully, they survived.
"It’s just a tragedy," said Brevard County resident Scott Belisle.
The SCTPO told FOX 35 back in January they’re trying to prevent these tragedies.
They received $6.1 million dollars to upgrade seven intersections with 15 exit gates and two medians.
But a spokesperson told us this week that the "crossing at Jordan Blvd. in Malabar does contain raised medians and an exit gate, which are considered additional safety enhancements to deter illegal motorist maneuvers."
FOX 35’s Esther Bower asked rail safety advocates: Should we be spending $6 million if safety upgrades were already in place and a car still found a way to get around the arm?
"Unfortunately, we can’t protect people from themselves," said Jim Kovalsky. He’s a rail safety advocate with Florida East Coast Railway Society.
Kovalsky has spent decades trying to educate people on rail safety. He says upgrades only go so far.
"Now, you add four quadrant gates. You really have to work get around, but people still do it," he said.
Susan Mehiel, another rail safety advocate with Alliance for Safe Trains, doesn’t think high speed trains should run through cities in the first place.
She also doesn’t think tax dollars shouldn’t be footing the bill on improvements.
"They’re asking us to make them safer, and it’s just not right," said Mehiel. "The only way now to make it safer is to slow it down."
Both say, people need to take personal responsibility and just wait for trains to pass.
"You need to put a gate up that they can’t get around," added Jimmy who also frequently drives over tracks. "The gates, people go through them. Everybody’s in too much of a hurry," concluded Terri.
Experts think law enforcement can also help change bad behavior. They'd like to see officers be more proactive when it comes to enforcing the law, actually writing tickets if they ever see people going around crossing arms or walking on tracks.
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The Source: The information in this article comes from reporting done by FOX 35's Esther Bower.