Railroad crossing safety focus of Thursday talk

SANDPOINT — Bonner County EMS is hosting a presentation on railroad crossing safety on Thursday following the recent deaths of two motorists who were killed by oncoming trains.

The presentation is set for 9 a.m. at the Bonner County Administration Building at the corner of U.S. Highway 2 and Division Avenue.

The presentation’s featured speaker is Roy Harper, a BNSF Railway safety support manager, who will discuss railroad crossing awareness. Harper is a 2012 winner of the Amtrak Champion Award for community safety for his efforts in increasing community awareness of railroad crossing safety.

“We’ve been lucky up to this point,” said Ross Crawford, deputy chief of Bonner County EMS.

Kayle Porter, 19, was killed at an at-grade railroad crossing on Elmira Road on Thanksgiving Eve. Kaitlin Marie Brosh, 25, was killed at an at-grade crossing on Heath Lake Road in Sagle on New Year’s Eve.

Neither Porter nor Brosh stopped at the crossings, according to Idaho State Police. Both crossings have stop and warning signs, although they do not have crossing arms to help keep vehicles out of the paths of oncoming trains.

“It’s up to the roadway authorities to determine what type of warning devices should be installed from a minimum of crossbucks and stop signs to flashers gates and bells,” said BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas.

Bonner County Road & Bridge Director Gordon Bates said he met with Idaho Transportation Department officials last summer to discuss potential railroad crossing upgrades at Homestead, North Cocolalla Loop and East Dufort roads

“This usually takes several years due to funding,” said Bates.

Homestead Road, the site of a previous fatality, is considered a priority and Bates said Porter’s death in Elmira could place it ahead of possible safety improvements on Cocolalla Loop and East Dufort.

The state works with railroads to determine locations of improvements and projects are selected in a data-driven environment on a statewide basis and in light of available funding.

The majority of the funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration, according to ITD. Crossings don’t have to be on the state highway system to receive funding.

BNSF Railway began Operation Lifesaver in Idaho in 1972 to raise awareness of crossing safety and it has grown into a nationwide program.

“We run 50 trains daily through this corridor and we want the public to realize that trains move on all tracks at any time in any direction,” Melonas said.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, a motorist is almost 20 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a crash involving another motor vehicle.

With the number of Bonner County residents living and working near railroad crossings, it’s critical to ensure the public is being well informed as possible about crossing safety, according to Bonner EMS.

“That’s always going to be our first approach — education,” said Crawford.