On Wednesday, September 27, 2017, Burbank Police Department Traffic Bureau personnel, with the support of Metrolink officials, conducted a highway-grade crossing enforcement operation within the City of Burbank. This operation was conducted in conjunction with Rail Safety Week, which runs from September 24 to September 30, 2017.Enforcement hopes to educate Motorists who stop on the tracks or evade gate-crossing warnings like this vehicle who was hit at Buena Vista and Vanown August 22 (Photo By Ross A. Benson)
The goal of Rail Safety Week is to raise awareness across the United States of the need for rail safety education, and to remind the general public to keep themselves safe near highway-rail grade crossings and railroad rights-of-way.
The rail lines within the city are active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The heavy daily load of vehicular traffic traversing grade crossings is potentially hazardous, and a cause of concern for safe railroad operations. With literally thousands of cars and commercial trucks crossing our rail lines each day, grade crossing violations occur. Motorists who stop on the tracks or evade gate-crossing warnings may be the cause of a train verses vehicle collision that will almost always result in serious injury or death. In addition, these collisions can delay train and vehicle traffic for hours.
As a result of the enforcement operation, which concentrated efforts at major rail crossings and right-of-ways within the City of Burbank, six citations were issued.
The Burbank Police Department would like to remind everyone to make safety a priority while driving in an environment where tracks and trains exist.
