[RP TownTalk] Metro F4 bus to bypass RxR crossing - temporarily (news release)

[Dwight Holmes]

Change in route follows Thursdays incident in Riverdale

Metro officials this morning, (March 29) have temporarily detoured the
Metrobus F4 route (New Carrollton-Silver Spring) as Metro continues to
investigate Thursday’s incident involving two Metrobuses and a MARC
train at a highway-rail crossing in Riverdale, Md.

Under this detour, Metrobuses will no longer operate across the
highway-rail crossing at Queensbury Road and Lafayette Avenue where
last week's accident took place.

All trips westbound will run their present routes to Riverdale Road
and Taylor Road, then turn right at Taylor Road, turn left at East
West Highway, turn left at Baltimore Avenue, turn right at Queensbury
Road and onto its regular route.

All trips eastbound will run their present route to Queensbury Road
and Baltimore Avenue, then turn left at Baltimore Avenue, a right onto
East West Highway, a right onto Taylor Road, a left onto Riverdale
Road and then on its regular route.

“While we are in the early stages of our investigation, out of an
abundance of concern for the safety for our customers, we have decided
to temporarily change the route of the F4 to avoid the railroad
crossing,” said Gerald Francis, Metro’s Deputy General Manager and
Chief Operating Officer. “Over the next few weeks, we will monitor the
performance of the route, and if it’s successful, we will make this
change permanent.”

To communicate this temporary service change, Metrobus officials will
post signs at 11 bus stops affected by the detour and will also deploy
street supervisors to communicate this change to bus customers who use
this portion of the F4 route.

Last Thursday afternoon, a Metrobus was involved in a collision with a
MARC train and another Metrobus at Queensbury Road and Lafayette
Avenue in Riverdale, Md. At the time of the incident, Metrobus 6040,
which had 30 to 35 passengers on board, was traveling eastbound on
Queensbury Road and attempting to cross the railroad tracks when it
was delayed by a second Metrobus attempting to make a left turn. The
second Metrobus, number 9731, was traveling westbound on Queensbury
Road. While bus 6040 waited for bus 9731 to complete its left turn,
the railroad crossing gate hit the rear of bus 6040 and it was unable
to move. The impact of the train collision with bus 6040 caused it to
spin and strike the driver’s side mirror of bus 9731. Seven passengers
on bus 9731 were taken to an area hospital with minor, non-life
threatening injuries. Approximately 12 people were on board the bus.
The bus operator of bus 6040, which was struck by the train, was taken
to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Prince George’s County police and fire authorities along with Metro
Transit Police and Riverdale Police are investigating this incident.
It is Metro’s standard procedure to remove bus operators involved in
accidents and to conduct its own internal investigation.

--
“[I]f these factors are not related to the quality of education, why
are the richer districts willing to spend so much for them?”
                               --New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke