[RP TownTalk] RR crossing safety improvements

[OurDollMom at aol.com]

When I am at my shop many times I sit on the
front steps & watch traffic or when working in
Jemals windows.  I see people running stop 
signs at all places or barely tap the brake & 
move on with speed on Queensbury & Lafayette.
Also, Speed bumps or not on
Ravenswood, they run our stop signs too.
 
On the RR tracks, cars pile in behind each
other impatiently trying to push traffic on 
faster.  If a train came - no car could get out
of the way...no place to go.
 
The bus heading east on Queensbury to go
over the tracks from S&Js should never pull
onto the tracks until those tracks are clear &
there is plenty of room to completely go across
& clear the tracks - but they impatiently pull on
to the tracks & stop for whoever in front of them
making right or lefts on Lafayette.
 
If people obeyed the law, drove defensively, had
patience, used common sense for safety, these
accidents would not happen.  Reality is this RR
track is ripe for disaster.  
 
Putting up the lights to shine on Stop Signs, 
painting white cross strips & having some type
of police being present - even if it is their coffee
break time - or what about a speed camera to 
snap pictures of impatient drivers & send them 
tickets???
 
The other day I actually saw a woman as the
RR crossing was coming down, floor her car
& came flying over the tracks to beat the arms.
I thought her car was going to be airborn.
 
We need to do something. It is our responsibility
to try.
 
Em
 
 
In a message dated 4/4/2009 8:53:01 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
m.avery at rocketmail.com writes:

 
Rob-
you make some very valid points. it seems like the ball has been dropped  as 
far as the safety issues go. 
another serious problem is the stop sign runners at corner of Lafayette  and 
Queensburry and the stop sign in front of S&J's.
Well actually stop sign running all over town. Have the police just given  up 
on enforcing this traffic law?
I am very surprised that Riverdale's finest are not posted at the  
intersection making their own assessment of the problem.


 
____________________________________
 From: Robert Oppenheim  <Rob.Oppenheim at comcast.net>
To: TownTalk  <towntalk at riverdale-park.org>; TownHall  
<riverdaleparkmd at comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, April 3, 2009 10:43:58  PM
Subject: [RP TownTalk] RR  crossing safety improvements

One problem with the RR crossing is  poor lighting. There are
no street lamps on the corner of Lafayette and  Queensbury
and much of the RR crossing is dark too. This is very  dangerous
to pedestrians and confusing to drivers.

Just last  December (2008), an early morning female jogger was
hit by a car at this  corner. Her ankle was broken in several
places and her convalescence has  been slow and painful.

Two years ago the council approved adding two  street lights to
the S.W. corner of Lafayette and Queensbury. One lamp was  to
shine onto the Queensbury/RR crossing area - the other was to
shine  onto Lafayette. These lamps have not been installed.
I don’t know  why.

Perhaps these street lamps would have enabled the driver to  see
the early morning jogger and prevented that accident.

Also,  there is no crosswalk painted there. In fact, there are
no crosswalks  anywhere that can get a pedestrian from the RR
crossing to say, the bus  stop in front of the old Credit Union
or to Dumm’s Corner. This should be  corrected immediately –
and the lamps should be installed too.

Poor  visibility makes it easier for drivers to mistakenly turn
onto the tracks.  They think they are turning onto Lafayette, but
they turn onto the tracks  instead, get stuck, and get hit by a train.
The police dept tells me this  happens a lot. (Bruce has a great story
about such an accident).

Do  we have the foresight to act now to improve our RR crossing
safety? Can we  be prodded into action by these recent non-lethal
accidents or do we have  to wait until something really  horrible
happens?


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