This Bergen County Railroad Crossing Is Among The Worst In The U.S.

A railroad crossing in Elmwood Park is among the most dangerous in the country, according to the federal Department of Transportation (DOT).

One person has died and four more have been injured at the crossing at Midland and Eric avenues in the last decade; 14 incidents have occurred there during that time, the DOT said.

Four people, including a 4-year-old girl, narrowly escaped being by a New Jersey Transit train on the tracks at the intersection earlier this year. A Volkswagen Jetta was crossing the tracks when it stalled on the tracks, police said.

An $800,000 project was announced last year to improve safety at the intersection, including new warning signals, crossing surfaces, and designating an area that must remain free of vehicles when crossing gates are down, The Record reported.

The crossing is one of 15 to make the DOT’s list of locations where 10 or more incidents have occurred. It is the only New Jersey location on the list.

Many of the crossings are at busy, multi-lane intersections with neighborhoods with significant truck traffic or have tracks that cross the roadway on an angle. Many are close to a traffic intersection that have their warning systems connect to traffic lights.

“Knowing where repeat injuries and fatalities occur helps states focus their time and resources on areas where they can have an impact,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Preventing incidents and fatalities at railroad crossings is one of the Department’s top priorities, and I urge states to work with FRA to achieve this life-saving goal.”

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