Crossing arms at railroad intersections become reality

It started with a tragic death, a motorist killed after her car collided with an oncoming train at a railroad intersection that had flashers, yes, but no crossing arms to temporarily block drivers. Since 2001, at least 10 people have died at railroad intersections with no crossing arms in parts of Kern County, in cities such as Bakersfield and Shafter.

The crashes prompted State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, and a railroad safety committee to propose the installation of crossing guards at the following locations along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line: Kratzmeyer Road; Merced Avenue; Poplar Avenue; Peterson Road; and Blankenship Avenue. About $1.2 million was spent on this project, mainly from federal funds.

“There’s no excuse in today’s age to not have gates,” Florez said. “This is a big issue for rural communities.”

The last of the five intersections received gates this summer, and on Monday, Florez plans to recognize the groups — Caltrans’ rail division, the county roads department, the California Public Utilities Commission and Burlington Northern Santa Fe — that made the project possible. The event will be held at 2 p.m. at the Merced Avenue and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing.

“It was a team effort between (these groups) that we were able to ensure that the railroad safety improvements at each of these intersections came before another accident and prior to the foggy season,” said Rudy Salas, Florez’s district director.

The group effort was needed because the responsibility varies by agency.
The state Public Utilities Commission, for instance, determines what kind of improvements should be made at railroad crossings. In this case, the commission recommended that crossing arms be installed.
That shifted the responsibility to Caltrans, which sought funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation and searched for a contractor to take on the project. Meanwhile, the county roads department finished road work, such as widening, leading up to the railroad crossing.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s duty is to maintain the gates once installed. Caltrans officials, however, say improvements to railroads are the responsibility of the city or county that has jurisdiction over each roadway.
Regardless, the efforts to address the problem were in hopes of stemming any future accidents.
The deaths drive home just how important the crossing arms are for the community.
David Richard Woodruff, 65, died June 24, 2008, when a train hit his truck as he crossed the railroad intersection on Merced Avenue, near Shafter. Crossing lights were flashing, but there were no railroad guards. California Highway Patrol officials have said it appears Woodruff, a Bakersfield resident and school board member for more than 35 years, was trying to beat the train. His family, however, has said Woodruff was not a risk-taker.
In late November 2006, Rafael Marin Carrillo, 41, was killed when his Chevrolet sedan crashed with an oncoming Amtrak train at a railroad crossing at Kratzmeyer Road, Rudd Avenue and the Santa Fe Railroad tracks, northwest of Bakersfield. The railroad intersection did not have crossing arms, but CHP officials say Carrillo failed to yield to the oncoming train.
At the same Kratzmeyer location, Mary Young Williams, a 79-year-old Buttonwillow resident, died Feb. 17, 2005 when a train hit her 2003 Mercury after her car became stuck on the tracks as she crossed.
In December 2001, a van carrying seven men believed to be farmworkers crashed into an oncoming double-decker train while trying to cross a railroad intersection on Poplar Avenue in Shafter. The driver, Mario Andres Aguilar, did not have a license, but the issue of the crossing not having guards was raised. The crossing did have lights and bells.

“Crossing arms are one additional visual warning device. However, ultimately it is still up the crossing user to pay attention to their surroundings,” said Lena Kent, spokeswoman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

At times, driver distractions, intoxication or unfamiliarity with the area can play a role in train accidents, Caltrans officials said.
Railroad crossing improvements, however, are a priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation, which sets aside $15 million for California annually, said Ken Galt, chief of the railroad crossing safety branch, which is part of Caltrans rail division.