Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The Hopson Road Project is the first of 12 Piedmont Improvement Program projects dedicated to separating rail and highway traffic. The project will ultimately eliminate 50 crossings between Charlotte and Raleigh.

Agency planners visited elementary schools within blocks of one of its commuter and light rail lines to teach students how to safely cross rail intersections. They are also telling the public about the potential danger of newly energized overhead electrical lines that power the rail system.

The fire department says there were no life-threatening injuries reported. Authorities will examine video footage to determine who is at fault.

While highway-rail crossing collisions are down slightly, deaths and injuries from crossing crashes and pedestrian-train incidents rose in the first four months of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011.

According to recent reports, the move comes amid criticism that it's taken too long to make improvements.

Officials say that it appears, anecdotally, to have “changed the way people behave.” The agency has also replaced sound walls that blocked pedestrian views of trains and added pedestrian swing gates and extra signs to improve safety at rail crossings.

Under the proposed ordinance, a person caught talking or texting on a cellphone, listening to a portable music device, reading and even attending to personal hygiene or grooming, could be fined by UTA police.

Adding warning devices and barriers that make it difficult for drivers or pedestrians to circumvent gate arms when a train is approaching. Enhancements include additional exit and pedestrian gates, new raised median islands, flashing signals and right-of-way security gates.

Developed strategies in engineering, enforcement and education to ramp up safety across the state’s rail network, particularly in areas where trains travel through densely populated neighborhoods. New map features a more open design and new color scheme for easy customer reference, as well as enhancements to more clearly indicate transfer points and service areas by rail line.

Construction on all the crossings is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2011.