From: finfer@optonline.net   
      
   On 2/20/2015 9:59 AM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
      
   > It means that she violated the grade crossing, ignoring the flashers and   
   > bells AND the gate that was in the process of being lowered. If anything,   
   > a gate being lowered moves and truly catches the driver's eye, so that   
   > actually adds a bit of safety.   
      
   She did violate the crossing, but she may have stopped there before the   
   protection was activated by the approaching train.  There is a white   
   line on the road that you are not supposed to pass until it is clear   
   that you can get all the way across.  She ignored that.   
      
   There is a very dangerous crossing that I go through twice per day,   
   almost every day, Cedar Ave. in Middlesex, NJ.  There are four main   
   tracks, the Raritan Valley Line and the Lehigh Line, the two lines are   
   widely separated, and there is a rise in the crossing and enough of a   
   curve railroad north of it so it is difficult to see the traffic.  When   
   traveling railroad north on Cedar Ave, there is a traffic light on the   
   far side with room for maybe half a dozen cars between the light and the   
   crossing.  MAS is 80 MPH for passenger trains and 50 or 60 MPH for   
   freight trains.  It is amazing how many people stop in the crossing and   
   on the tracks waiting for that light and how many people get impatient   
   with me when I stop in situations when it is not clear that I can get   
   all the way across.  On top of that, the gates go down over a minute   
   before eastbound passenger trains reach the crossing.  The standard is,   
   I believe, 20 seconds.  That crossing is an accident waiting to happen.   
      
      
   Michael Finfer   
   Bridgewater, NJ   
      
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