SMART officials say they have found no technical issues at a San Rafael train crossing that was the site of three recent crashes, two of them deadly.
Investigations by the San Rafael Police Department found that the incidents were the fault of two drivers and a cyclist.
“In all these cases we found that the grade crossing warning devices were working as they should,” said Bill Gamlen, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit’s chief engineer. “We did not find any significant roadway elements or anything that needed to be changed.
“There are, of course, often time small tweaks that can be made here or there, and I think (San Rafael) Public Works is looking at some of those. But in summary, nothing significant jumped out at this location.”
However, SMART board members expressed openness Wednesday to exploring potential changes to the crossing.
“Obviously the public has concerns as there have been three incidents in a fairly short amount of time,” Marin County Supervisor Damon Connolly, a SMART board member, said Wednesday. “I’m wondering if additional warning systems are being contemplated at that location or may be needed there.”
San Rafael police released findings on Thursday of the most recent crash, which occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 27. An 89-year-old San Rafael woman driving west on North San Pedro Road failed to stop before the lowered crossing gate, according to the report.
The driver went through the crossing gate and struck the right side of train as it was traveling through at about 43-44 mph. The impact caused the vehicle to be spun clockwise and dragged north until it traveled down an embankment and broke through a backyard fence.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital. The driver is alive, but police did not know the status of her injuries. Lt. Dan Fink said there was no indication the driver was impaired.
In an interview with investigators, the driver said she did not know how the crash happened, Fink said. The police are not releasing the driver’s name.
In September, San Rafael resident Rosina Szele, 82, died five days after sustaining injuries in a Sept. 17 incident at the crossing. Szele stopped on the tracks for unknown reasons, according to police.
On July 3, Martin Ray Hoffman, 36, of San Rafael died after he was struck at the crossing while riding his bike. The coroner’s division said Hoffman did not stop at the crossing gate despite the closing crossing arms and warning lights. Hoffman steered into the barrier, which caused him to fall and slide onto the train tracks, according to the coroner’s office.
After any incident involved a crash at a crossing, SMART and other agencies, including local public works agencies and the California Public Utilities Commission, staff evaluate whether any changes could be made to the crossing to prevent future incidents, Gamlen said. Some changes being considered at the North San Pedro Road crossing include extending the concrete median separating the two lanes of traffic and refreshing striping on the road, Gamlen said.
San Rafael resident Mike Lipton, who lives near the crossing, recommended the train travel much slower through the intersection. He also called for a redesign of the intersection, which is not a standard 90-degree angle but rather curved.
“I think it really warrants SMART and the other authorities having jurisdiction to figure out a better solution at this intersection that works for both the train and pedestrians and traffic on the intersection,” Lipton said.
A train traveling at 15 mph still would travel the length of a football field before it could make a full stop, said Farhad Mansourian, the general manager of SMART.
“At no speed are we able to stop before we hit somebody,” Mansourian said. “That’s why we rely on all of these state and federally regulated warning devices.”
Steven Friedman lives near the intersection in Redwood Village and crosses the train crossing on his bike during his work commute every day. He said he has never noticed any technical issues with the warning systems such as the flashing lights, bells and crossing gates.
“If the lights are flashing and people are getting enough warning but some people are breaking the rules and it’s causing serious harm, maybe something has to be done as well,” Friedman said.
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SMART might alter San Rafael crossing after crashes - Marin Independent Journal
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