FRA redesigns rail-safety website

Washington – A newly designed website from the Federal Railroad Administration aims to help drivers, pedestrians and law-enforcement officials be safe around railroad crossings.

The redesigned site was announced March 17 and is titled, “Railroad Crossing Safety & Trespass Prevention.”

FRA has emphasized safety at railroad crossings in recent years. The agency recently partnered with Google and other technology organizations to add railroad crossing alerts to map applications. Agency officials also have reached out to law-enforcement officers across the country to increase enforcement of railroad crossing laws.

Despite those efforts, fatalities at railroad crossings remain excessive. FRA said 244 people died at railroad crossings in 2015.

FRA’s newly designed site includes interactive features, fact sheets and other downloadable resources. It also has separate tip sheets for motorists, pedestrians and anyone who encounters a passive crossing without active warning devices.

“Railroad crossings are in nearly every city and town across America,” Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in a press release. “Preventing fatalities at crossings and on tracks takes innovative solutions, increased enforcement actions, and robust safety education efforts. FRA’s new website is an important tool to help us achieve our goal of zero deaths at crossings and along tracks.”