(The following editorial appeared on the Newsday website on October 15, 2009.)
NEW YORK — When it comes to safety, more knowledge is almost always better. Officials who guard the public welfare on trains, planes and in other public spaces sometimes want to contain information so people won’t panic. But in reality, it’s more reassuring to be well-informed.
On Aug. 1, two Long Island Rail Road trains nearly collided head-on near Bridgehampton. The public wasn’t told until this month. The LIRR should consider greater transparency about such near-misses. It should also press ahead with “positive train control,” a promising, if expensive, new federal mandate that can monitor trains by satellite and even stop them.
Beyond informing the public, data about such near-accidents and other threats can sometimes reveal a pattern of underlying issues. That’s the thinking behind the Confidential Close Call Reporting System, a Federal Railroad Administration program that encourages employees to report misadventures large and small. The nation’s airlines have adopted a similar program with good results.
The FRA program is being tested as a pilot on four railroads, including New Jersey Transit. The Long Island Rail Road isn’t involved, but it can still take the lessons from the program and put them to good use. The FRA should be more forthcoming with its results to date.
Passengers won’t feel safe if they think they’re being kept in the dark. The LIRR should shine a light on this track.