The following editorial appeared in the Deseret News Wednesday, July 27.

Be Safe Around TRAX

Utah Transit Authority is growing; we serve more people today than ever before.  We have successfully opened three rail lines and operated TRAX in Salt Lake County for more than a decade now. We will soon open two new lines, bringing service to neighborhoods that have never had TRAX service before. Our ridership is up nearly seven percent this year, and we expect to carry even more people next year.

With all this growth, one of our greatest areas of focus is on how to operate safely in these new neighborhoods.  I can speak for more than 2,000 employees when I say it affects every one of us when a safety incident occurs anywhere in our system.  We are proud of our excellent safety record, but we are always looking at ways to improve.  Our goal is to make our system the safest in the country.

We are always considering ways to design and engineer safer crossings. The right combination of safety features for each crossing—such as gates, bells, signals and signs—is critical in helping motorists and pedestrians know when a train is approaching.  Unfortunately, experience has shown engineering alone cannot prevent 100 percent of all safety incidents.

The only way to prevent all railroad crossing incidents is for people to take personal responsibility to obey all safety rules when they approach a railroad crossing.  In this respect, a railroad crossing is no different than crossing a busy street.  There are signals, signs and indicators in place to let you know when it is safe to cross, but they are only effective if you observe and obey them.

One area of concern is the growth in the number of incidents involving electronic devices.  Pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists alike are increasingly distracted by cell phones, headphones, and other activities that inhibit awareness of surroundings.  Railroad crossing protections are only effective if you see the signs and lights and hear the bells and then respect them. Electronic devices should be turned off or put away whenever approaching a railroad crossing or station area.

Educating the public about train safety is a responsibility UTA takes very seriously. UTA partners with Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit organization that teaches people how to be safe around railroad tracks and crossings.  In preparing to open two new TRAX lines, UTA and Operation Lifesaver have been more aggressive in our education and outreach to school children, parents and the general public than ever before. We are committed to continuing those outreach efforts.

We are excited to bring new mass transit options to the Wasatch Front.  At the same time, we ask for everyone to take time to learn and obey train safety rules and help us teach them to others.

Here are a few train safety tips from Operation Lifesaver. More can be found at www.oli.org.

• Never drive, ride or walk around lowered gates. Don’t cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing and it’s safe to do so.
• Cross tracks ONLY at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings.
• Don’t cross the tracks immediately after a train passes. A second train might be blocked by the first. Trains can come from either direction. Wait until you can see clearly around the first train in both directions.

Michael Allegra

General Manager, Utah Transit Authority