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That infamous Green Lane track crossing

January
9

That Green Lane track crossing in Bedford — the site of another car-train accident on New Year’s Eve — is somewhat like Westchester’s version of the Bermuda Triangle.

It’s not just that it’s had more than its share of accidents. It’s that they seem so strange.

I mean, a year ago, when a 32-year-old guy from California drove onto the tracks because his Global Positioning System told him to turn there, it was easy to make all kinds of jokes. (Mainly because no one was hurt.)

But when a little checking showed that the crossing was one of the most dangerous in the Metro-North system, it didn’t seem so funny.

And when another guy — a 43-year-old White Plains resident — also had his car struck by a passing train after following his GPS device onto the tracks, it began to look a little strange. (By then, the Editorial Board here at The Journal News even wrote an opinion piece titled “No Laughing Matter,” cautioning against the temptation to think this was all funny.

One frustrating thing about that case was that the guy said he called 911 but that the emergency responders were unable to stop the train from charging through seven minutes later. Metro-North said the guy would have been better off calling the emergency number the railroad posts at its crossings — 888-MTA911PD.

But it’s not hard to imagine someone automatically calling 911 in an emergency. We’ve been conditioned to think that’s the quickest way to get something done — a simple, three-digit number to punch out without thinking when our brainspace is understandably occupied by the crisis before us.

Now comes 57-year-old Richard DeVito of Mount Vernon, whose car was scraped by a passing train on New Year’s Eve. As reported by my colleague Sean Gorman today (read the articlehere.), DeVito says the warning lights went on and gate came down too late; he could see the train coming, and tried to back up when the gate finally did come down — on his rear windshield.

Metro-North officials say the gate works fine and gives plenty of time for people to cross. The transit police have charged DeVito with obstructing the crossing.

Either way, these incidents show that it’s definitely a crossing that merits an extra dose of caution when approached.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 2:13 pm by Ken Valenti.
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2 Responses to “That infamous Green Lane track crossing”

  1. Richard Tjoa

    I don’t get it; why didn’t he proceed through the crossing? (Alternatively, if you’re unable to proceed through a RR crossing, why stop in the middle of it?) I try to spend as little time on railroad tracks as I can.

  2. Almost Ketchup at Green Lane

    Hello Richhard, nice to converse with you.
    Consider the gates. Consider at night. That is, I hope you may wish to discuss. Thanks.

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About this blog
Going Places is your online source for shortcuts and news on the ins and outs of getting around the Lower Hudson Valley. We'll help you deal with traffic tie-ups, bad drivers and the high cost of commuting.

Going Places is written by transportation writers Khurram Saeed and Ken Valenti. Khurram's transportation column, "Getting There," runs Wednesdays in Rockland. Ken's column, "Going Places," runs Mondays in Westchester and Putnam. Join in the conversation and share tips on coping with fellow commuters.

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About the author
Khurram SaeedKhurram SaeedKhurram Saeed has been reporting for The Journal News since 2000. He writes about transportation issues in Rockland and has a weekly column called Getting There, which appears Wednesdays. READ MORE


Ken Valenti Ken Valenti Ken Valenti covers trains, planes and automobiles - not to mention buses and ferries - for Westchester and Putnam. He's been a reporter with The Journal News and its forerunners more than 20 years and has covered all four corners of Westchester County. READ MORE


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