NJDOT Considering Gates at the Site of Fatal Accident in Franklin Lakes

The New Jersey Department of Transportation is holding a meeting later this month with borough, county and railroad representatives to discuss adding gates to the railroad crossing on Pulis Avenue, according to Borough Administrator Gregory Hart.

"Both the county and the borough have been trying to put this together for quite some time," Hart said.

Hart wasn't sure who would be responsible for the cost of building and maintaining the gates because it is so early in the process. According to Operation Lifesaver, an organization which promotes train safety, the railroad company shares responsibility for crossing signals with state and local governments.

The NJDOT has scheduled the "railroad diagnostic team meeting" for January 31. It is not open to the public. According to Hart, it will be up to Bergen County representatives to prove there is a need for gates at the crossing.

The meeting will take place about one year after

Last January, was killed after the SUV he was riding in drove into a moving train at the intersection of Pulis Avenue and the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway. Police said the warning lights and bells were working at the time of the accident.