As hundreds of cyclists poured through the Summit City, there was hope that the event would not only bring some exercise and entertainment to the participants but hopefully a changed view of the community in general.For Jessica Allen Feder, the state motto “Crossroads of America” does not refer only to the four major interstate routes converging in Indianapolis.
“That’s true with our highways, and that’s true with our railroads,” she said of the Hoosier slogan once printed on license plates.
Feder, executive director of Indiana Operation Lifesaver, stressed that shared meaning as Indiana Rail Safety Week, which runs through Saturday, continues with ramped-up local enforcement at rail crossings statewide.
The state ranks fourth in the country for collisions where rail meets road, with 112 accidents including nine fatalities recorded last year alone, according to a news release issued Monday by Operation Lifesaver.
Feder attributed the state’s high crash count to its vast patchwork of rail traffic. According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Hoosier railroad network has nearly 3,900 route miles of active track with about 6,000 public crossings.
The state also serves as a necessary gateway to Chicago and the West, Feder added.
She said Rail Safety Week raises awareness for this sprawling transportation system – and its inherent dangers for motorists or pedestrians pushing their luck.
Local officials will be “out in force” to patrol select crossings over the next few days, according to Operation Lifesaver. Feder added some officers may even be distributing rail safety literature at high-volume intersections.
Sgt. Ron Galaviz, Indiana State Police spokesman for the Fort Wayne area, said he has yet to receive any special assignments for railroad agents as of Monday afternoon.
Regardless of the week’s once-a-year emphasis, Feder stressed crossing advice to live by every day: Stop, look and listen. “Always expect a train,” she said. “You might not hear it, you might not see it.”
