Abinanti Pushes for Measure Requiring DOT Study Rail Crossings
Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti (D-Pleasantville) is calling for passage of his bill that would require the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct a study of grade-level railroad crossings across New York.
The measure would give the job of examining the crossings, many of which are on or adjacent to state roads, to the agency to weigh in on whether changes may be warranted at each location, Abinanti said.
“Drivers shouldn’t be playing a game of chance whenever they approach a railroad crossing,” Abinanti said. “A comprehensive evaluation of these often dangerous crossings will go a long way in protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers.”
The bill passed the Assembly last year by a 130-11 margin following the deadly Metro-North crash with an SUV in Valhalla but did not get out of committee in the Senate. If the legislation were to be approved, money would be set aside in the state budget to pay for the study, he said.
Abinanti is optimistic that the legislation would gain bipartisan traction in the Senate following last year’s overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle for the Assembly version. He said in addition to state Sen. David Carlucci (D-Clarkstown) carrying a similar bill in the Senate, that measure is sponsored by Republican state Sen. Terrence Murphy (R-Yorktown). Abinanti and Murphy both represent Valhalla, where last year’s accident at the Commerce Street grade crossing took place.
The assemblyman said the safety of grade-level crossings disproportionately affects suburban communities like ones in Westchester. There are rarely these types of crossings in urban environments and more sparsely populated rural areas don’t have the level of vehicular traffic or the number of trains traveling through their communities.
Abinanti’s Feb. 18 comments came two days after Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator Sarah Feinberg sent a letter to state officials across the nation asking that they evaluate crossings in their jurisdictions and monitor and test railroad crossing signals and adjacent traffic signals to make sure they are functioning properly.
“The FRA administrator has made improving railroad crossing safety a top priority – now it’s time for the state legislature to do the same,” Abinanti said. “We have to be proactive in determining where there are safety issues that need immediate attention.”
While the MTA announced last year that it was studying more than 430 crossings on its Metro-North and Long Island Railroad lines, Abinanti said in most cases the state DOT is better equipped to make determinations about safety and recommend actions. He said it would be unfair and inappropriate to have MTA come to any conclusions about its crossings since it is dealing with lawsuits stemming from last year’s accident.
Meanwhile, without alternatives such as prohibitively expensive bridges and overpasses to make sure motorists never come into contact with rail crossings, Abinanti hopes that by continuing to keep the issue in the public’s consciousness, drivers will realize that all grade-level crossings are dangerous.
“We need to educate drivers about grade-level crossings until we can decide on something better than grade-level crossings,” Abinanti said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/