TRANSIT OFFICIALS, TRAIN LINES LAUNCH DRIVE ON CROSSING SAFETY.Byline: David Bloom David Bloom (May 22, 1963 – April 6, 2003) was an NBC journalist (co-anchor of Weekend Today and reporter) until his sudden death in 2003 at the age of 39. Early life Daily News Staff Writer A statewide campaign to warn pedestrians and drivers of the dangers of trains kicked off Monday with a presentation at Union Station of TV public service announcements. ``They are graphic and compelling re-enactments of incidents that have occurred here in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ,'' said Peter Hidalgo Hidalgo, state, Mexico Hidalgo (ēthäl`gō), state (1990 pop. 1,888,366), 8,058 sq mi (20,870 sq km), central Mexico. Pachuca de Soto is the capital. , a spokesman for Metrolink, which joined with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run , Union Pacific and Burlington Northern/Santa Fe to push the education campaign. Since 1992, 35 Southern Californians have died in accidents with Metrolink trains, either as pedestrians or drivers who were improperly on the tracks, Hidalgo said. ``It just illustrates there's a casual attitude that it's OK to be on the tracks, that trains will always stop for me,'' Hidalgo said. ``We have a real problem with pedestrians on the tracks.'' But with Metrolink trains traveling as fast as 79 mph and a typical locomotive pulling a five-car string weighing a total of 450 tons, the laws of physics make it difficult to stop fast enough to prevent fatal accidents. The most recent death was Thursday, when an Upland youth was killed while playing on the tracks there. California leads the nation in pedestrian train accidents and is fifth in car-train accidents, with 661 deaths since 1992. ``We're still a little boggled that people think it's OK to walk the tracks or try to beat the train (in their car),'' Hidalgo said. The new television spots are part of a weeklong education effort. On Thursday, officials will discuss the problem with judges and prosecutors in Glendale and Burbank, in the hope that they will seek stiffer penalties against drivers trying to beat crossing signals. The spots re-enact re·en·act also re-en·act tr.v. re·en·act·ed, re·en·act·ing, re·en·acts 1. To enact again: reenact a law. 2. three incidents. One involves a woman whose car stalled on Metrolink tracks in front of a train, killing the woman and her baby. A second shows a Riverside incident where four teens Four Teens is a Barbershop quartet that won the 1952 SPEBSQSA international competition. Preceded by Schmitt Brothers SPEBSQSA International Quartet Champions 1952 Succeeded by Vikings - one of them pregnant - died in 1994 when they didn't beat a train to a crossing. The third shows an Orange County youth playing on a bridge whose foot got caught in the tracks as he tried to escape. The series was primarily funded by the Association of American Railroads, Hidalgo said, and will be shown around the country. A nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. called California Operation Lifesaver Operation Lifesaver is a 501(c)(3) educational organization in the United States dedicated to promoting safety at railroad grade crossings and railroad rights-of-way. will oversee the distribution of the spots in Southern California, along with equivalent public service announcements for radio and print outlets. CAPTION(S): Photo, Chart PHOTO A Metrolink train passes at De Soto Avenue. A state campaign on track safety began Monday. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News CHART: METROLINK FATALITIES |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion