There are more than 200,000 railroad crossings across the country. But, five of the top 15 most dangerous are located in Phoenix and Glendale. That’s according to new findings by the Federal Railroad Association (FRA).
Over the past decade, almost 90 incidents have occurred at those five crossings, most located near Grand Avenue.
Steve Elliot, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transportation, said the department has been working for years to make those intersections safer. But drivers need to be more cautious.
“We reviewed the incidents at the five crossings that were listed and found that many involve drivers stopping on tracks, driving around gates, failing to stop at crossing, or doing other things that contributed to collisions. These trains don’t just come out of nowhere,” he said.
And ADOT has been working for years with the city of Phoenix and Glendale to improve safety in those areas.
“There are projects scheduled at four of the five crossings. And the other one has had a project done there. And these are projects that are developed through and submitted through ADOT’s program in which we try to connect communities for federal funding for improvements,” Elliot said.
Over the past decade 14 injuries have been reported at the five sites, but no fatalities.
According to the FRA study, the most dangerous crossing in the country is at west Thomas Road at north 27th Avenue in Phoenix.
