DURHAM, N.C. — The Federal Railroad Administration awarded Durham County a grant to complete a planning study on three busy railway intersections that have a history of crashes.
What You Need To Know
- Three railroad crossings in East Durham have a history of collisions
- The Federal Railroad Administration gave Durham a grant to compete planning study
- Its goal is to revitalize the crossings to help keep the community safe
The goal is to improve safety for the surrounding community by revitalizing or even closing these busy railroad crossings.
In Capt. Keith Webster’s 30 years in law enforcement, he’s seen multiple collisions and even fatalities on train tracks.
“Those railroad engines and cars are huge,” Webster said. “And they’re very heavy, and they’re in a lot of mass. They can’t stop on a dime.”
He says the intersection of South Driver Street and Pettigrew Street in East Durham has a history of crashes.
South Driver Street and two other intersections at South Plum Street and Ellis Road have seen 19 crashes, three fatalities and nine injuries over the past 25 years, according to Durham County. Last week, the Federal Railroad Administration gave Durham a $1.2 million grant to complete a planning study at these crossings.
“Our primary goal is to reduce fatalities and to save lives and to save property,” Webster said. “To me, this means the world to have our community and our county commissioners invest so much into these crossings.”
Webster says North Carolina ranks 10th in the nation for fatal motor vehicles and train collisions. He also says people sometimes think they can outrun or outmaneuver the train.
“Unfortunately, the train can’t turn,” Webster said. “It’s fixed to the tracks. They can’t make a left, they can’t make a right … It takes on the average of a mile to a mile and a half for these trains to come to a complete stop.”
He added that if you have to cross the tracks, do so at a marked crossing, look both ways, listen for horns and bells, and obey lights and crossing arms.
The Durham County Sheriff’s Department is partnering with Project Lifesaver to educate the community about railway safety.
Ellen Beckmann, the Durham County transit planning and services manager, says they will involve the community in their planning study. You can find out more information on their website.
