Safety on a grade crossing

When trains and cars collide, the car always loses.

The average train weighs 12 million pounds. At 41 miles per hour, it can go 661 feet in 11 seconds. To stay safe, show trains the respect they deserve.

Remember, any time is train time. Teach children that the railroad is never a place to play, walk, run, bike ride or use as a shortcut. Don't fish from raiilroad bridges.

As you approach train tracks...

  1. Observe all traffic, both vehicle and train.
  2. Watch out for vehicles that MUST stop at crossing, such as school buses or trucks carrying hazardous materials.
  3. Roll down your windows, turn off your radio and air conditioner, and listen for whistles or bells.
  4. Do not use cell phones or other devices that can distract your attention and hinder your senses.
  5. Look in both directiosns and listen.
  6. Ensure that there is adequate room on the other side of ther tracks for your entire vehicle.
  7. If you must stop, do so 15-50 feet from the tracks. Leave enough space between your vehicle and the tracks. Trains hang three feet past the rails on either side.
  8. If a train passes from one direction, make sure that another train, perhaps hidden by the first train, is not approaching on the adjacent track.
  9. Obey all signals at grade crossings equipped with lights, bells and / or gates.
  10. Never drive around lowered crossing gates.
  11. If the view of the crossing is not adequate, wait until you can see that no trains are approaching.
  12. Use added caution when there is rain, snow, wind and fog. These can affect your ability to see and hear oncoming trains.
  13. Never "race" a train to a grade crossing.
  14. Never pass another vehicle within 100 feet of a railroad crossing.
  15. "No left turn" signals have been installed along the tracks on Shaker and Van Aken boulevards. Obey these signals when they are illuminated.
  16. Don't be fooled by the optical illusion presented by the train. It is always moving faster, and is much closer, than you think.

As you drive across train tracks...

  1. Cross tracks at a safe speed.
  2. Do not stop on the tracks.
  3. Downshift before you cross the tracks. Never shift gears while on the tracks.
  4. Only cross if you are sure that your vehicle is high enough to completely clear the crossing without stopping.

When you walk across train tracks...

  1. Always use a designated railroad crossing or pedestriain crossing.
  2. Look in both directions to assure yourself that no trains are in sight.
  3. Proceed with caution.
  4. After one train has crossed in front of you, check the other track for a train coming in the opposite direction.
  5. Step over the rails, never on the rails.
  6. Never walk or sit on the rail or the platform edge.
  7. Never jump from a platform to track level.
  8. On the Red Line, if you are at track level when a train approaches, crawl under the platform into the open space. Remain there until help arrives or until the train leaves from the area. Do not try to climb to safety.
  9. Avoid wearing radios or other devices that may hinder your ability to hear an oncoming train.
  10. Never walk between train cars.
  11. Never try to hop aboard a moving train or other rail equipment.

Penalty

According to the Ohio Revised Code, persons convicted of trespassing or being in restricted areas of the right-of-way can be fined up to $250 and sentenced to a 30-day jail term.

List of RTA grade crossings

Blue Line

  • Drexmore Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • South Woodland Road, use extra caution
  • Southington Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Onaway Road, use extra caution
  • Ashby Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Avalon Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Kenmore Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Lynnfield Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Farnsleigh Road, use extra caution

Green Line

  • North Moreland Blvd. at Shaker Square, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • South Moreland Blvd. at Shaker Square, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Van Aken Blvd., use extra caution
  • Coventry Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Southington Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • West Park Blvd., controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • South Blvd., controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Lee Road, use extra caution
  • Attleboro Road, controlled by No Left Turn black-out signal
  • Eaton Road, controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal
  • Courtland Blvd., controlled by No Left Turn blank-out signal

Waterfront Line, obey the grade crossing gates

  • Robert Lockwood Jr. Drive, near the intersection of Canal/Courtland/Columbus Road
  • West St. Clair Avenue at OId River Road
  • Main Avenue, near the Flats East Bank Station