(The Menlo Park Almanac posted the following editorial by Arthur L. Lloyd on its website on February 19. Mr. Lloyd is a Caltrain and SamTrans board member and chairman of California Operation Lifesaver.)
MENLO PARK, Calif. — The Caltrain line from San Francisco to San Jose and Gilroy has become a magnet for those individuals who seek to end their lives.
In 2002, the best year for the least incidents, there were five trespassing fatalities, of which four were suicides. So far in 2003, however, the record has already been broken with six fatalities on the rail line, and all appear to be suicides pending a ruling by the coroner.
There appears to be a “Golden Gate Syndrome” on the rail line, whereby media coverage attracts those who want to end their lives. This statement is based on the years when every suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge received wide publicity. This is not true anymore, but there continue to be individuals who jump from the bridge and there is little or no media coverage.
Caltrain and Amtrak, contractor for the service which now has 76 daily weekday trains, plus up to four freight trains operated by Union Pacific each day, are combining to do a blitz along the right-of-way to better educate individuals to stay off the railroad, which is private property, and only cross at designated protected crossings.
Many will say “fence the right-of-way.” That does not work for the fences are cut by those wanting to short-cut, within days after repair or installation, and the hazard continues.
California Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing grade-crossing incidents with motor vehicles and pedestrians, is planning a summit to address the suicide issue. Caltrain is a member and plans to post suicide signs that will advertise the 800-suicide hot line.
Individual presenters from Operation Lifesaver will be asked to address city councils, boards of supervisors and other organizations such as service clubs with the message to “stay off the tracks” and “stop, look and listen” at grade crossings.
Operation Lifesaver is a national organization with chapters in every state. It is supported by the railroads, state transportation departments (such as Caltrans), light rail operators and auto clubs. Volunteer presenters go to schools, service clubs, and similar venues to discuss the program’s main points, education, enforcement and engineering.
First, Operation Lifesaver strives to increase public awareness of dangers around the rails. The program seeks to educate both drivers and pedestrians to make safe decisions at crossings and around railroad tracks.
Second, Operation Lifesaver promotes active enforcement of traffic laws relating to crossing signs and signals and private property laws relating to trespassing.
Finally, the program encourages continued engineering and innovation to improve railroad-crossing safety.
In 1972, when Operation Lifesaver began in Idaho, there were over 12,000 collisions between trains and motor vehicles annually. By 2000, the most recent year for which complete information has been collected, the number of train/motor vehicle collisions has been reduced by over 70 percent to 3,502. In 2000, these collisions resulted in 425 fatalities and 1,219 injuries nationwide with 27 fatalities and 54 injuries in California.
In the same year, there were 463 trespassers killed when they were struck by trains and 414 injured. California had 72 killed, 45 injured. Unofficial statistics (the Federal Railroad Administration does not break out suicides) indicate that over half were suicides or attempted suicides.
Train traffic has increased. In 1971, the year Amtrak started, there were 68 daily passenger trains in the whole state of California, of which 54 were in the Peninsula Commuter Service, operated by Southern Pacific. Today there are over 300 daily passenger trains in California of which 76 operate between San Francisco and San Jose. These trains operate at speeds up to 79 mph. Also, it is prudent to point out that when the crossing gates go down, it takes about 30 seconds for a passenger train to clear that crossing. Is your life worth 30 seconds?
(Arthur L. Lloyd is a Caltrain and SamTrans board member and chairman of California Operation Lifesaver.)