Cameras to be installed at Hewlett train crossing on West Broadway

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As part of the more than $5 million safety grant that the Metropolitan Transit Authority will receive from the Federal Railroad Administration, $1.91 million is designated for closed circuit television cameras to be installed at the Long Island Rail Road’s West Broadway train crossing in Hewlett. Eleven other LIRR crossings are also slated for improvement, including Oceanside at Atlantic Avenue.

LIRR spokeswoman Meredith Daniels said, the cameras will record grade crossing movements and be installed next year. “The more we can see of our railroad, the better we can operate it,” Daniels said. “This will be no different from other cameras installed throughout our infrastructure that are used daily to ensure safety and security.

The MTA has undertaken several safety measures since last year’s Metro-North crash when a train traveling on the Harlem line struck an SUV on its tracks in Valhalla, where five passengers and the motorist died, and several other passengers were injured. It is the deadliest accident in Metro-North’s history.

“When it comes to improving rail safety we must take an all-of-the-above approach that includes prioritizing a culture of safety, improving education,  and making smart upgrades to dangerous grade crossings,” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) stated in a media release. “[The] investment by the FRA in some of New York’s most dangerous crossings will help this cause tremendously.”

Between 2005 and 2014, there were 341 railway grade crossing incidents that resulted in 59 fatalities and 96 injuries in New York state. There are more than 5,000 railroad crossings throughout the state. In 2013, 2,096 accidents at grade crossings killed more than 200 people nationwide.

“This critical investment will help prevent future accidents and improve safety for the countless New Yorkers who travel on commuter and passenger trains and drive across dangerous rail crossing every day,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) stated in the release. “Upgrading crossing signals, roadways, and signage are all urgently needed steps to reduce collisions and keep our railways and rail crossings safe for riders and drivers.”