(The Newton Kansas posted the following article by Chris Strunk on its website on March 19.)
NEWTON, Kan. — From a near bird’s eye view, Burlington Northern Santa Fe engineer Chip Allen gets a good look at how motorists respond to railroad signals and trains.
“As a whole,” he said, “people in Newton are pretty good about the crossings.”
There are plenty of them to negotiate, too. As one of the state’s busiest train towns, Newton has what have been determined to be three of the most dangerous intersections in Kansas.
To test their response to train crossing violators, Highway Patrol troopers and Newton police officers teamed up with BNSF officials Monday afternoon to ride a train through several of the intersections in Newton. Three motorists were stopped and ticketed for violations.
Those tickets are expensive, Newton police officials said.
For failing to obey signals or crossing arms, motorists face a $180 fine. Officers said many motorists fail to realize that a train within 1,500 feet of a crossing — regardless of whether the crossing has flashing signals or crossing arms — poses a hazard, and motorists can be ticketed for crossing.
BNSF also has become more diligent about alerting law enforcement to railroad property trespassers. Railroad officials said the vigilance is a result of heightened security across the country. Locally, the number of people cited for the violation has increased.
“Our people have been instructed to call the authorities on anybody who we do not recognize around trains or tracks,” said Kathi Wilkin, BNSF trainmaster. “We just can’t take the chance.”
Pedestrians and motorists can be cited for the violation.
She said the measure is designed to prevent problems.
“We want to keep ourselves and everyone in the community safe,” she said.
Monday’s train ride came less than a week after Newton city officials entered into an agreement with BNSF to improve railroad crossings at West First Street, North Main, Broadway and Southwest 14th Street.
The intersections will get new crossing arms and a computer-timed gate system that is able to track how fast a train is traveling, leading to less wait time for traffic at the crossings.
Also approved in the project will be crossing surface upgrades, leaving concrete between the tracks instead of railroad ties.
The project — which will be funded by Kansas Department of Transportation safety money and BNSF — will cost the city nothing.