Issue date: 1/31/07
Efforts are underway to help increase student awareness of railroad safety precautions at Texas A&M. After the death of A&M student Walker Best on Aug. 28, the University has made changes in communication about railroad safety precautions in order to prevent accidents and ensure students' safety while crossing the tracks on Wellborn Road, said Risa Bierman, assistant director for the dean in the Department of Student Life. The most recent developments in improving railroad safety have been educating students on railroad safety and developing the best way to get the word out to students. Bierman, who is spearheading this campaign, said that this semester the department has asked some of the marketing classes at A&M to help with their goal of educating students about precautions they should take when crossing railroads. The department has also developed public service announcements with country music stars warning against the danger of not taking precaution around railroads and plans on getting them to air on local radio stations, she said. The department is working with Union Pacific, the University Police Department (UPD), Texas Transportation Institute and Operation Lifesaver on these projects. Joe Arbana, director of regional public affairs for Union Pacific, said they are committed to railroad safety and finding the best way of getting people to stay off the tracks. "It takes trains up to a half mile to completely stop during emergency braking procedures, and this often causes derailment," Arbana said. He also said students should always expect a train since Union Pacific does not have a set schedule. Senior marketing major Chris O'Neal said he drives over the intersection of Wellborn Road and Old Main Drive, but when walking he uses the underground tunnel because it's safer. O'Neal said that he wouldn't want to make a "stupid mistake" and get hurt since it is avoidable. The UPD has always had the goal of ensuring safety and providing a tranquil environment for students while they are at this University, said Kristi Hosea, a crime prevention officer for UPD. UPD takes an active role in railroad safety by issuing citations to violators of the railway precautions.
She said that by issuing citations, word of mouth is generated among the students. "When students hear of someone they know getting a ticket, it starts to affect them personally and really hits them in the pocketbook," Hosea said. Bierman also expressed that the UPD will become stricter on enforcing railroad traffic laws and will not hesitate to ticket people for trespassing on the railroads. The highest area of concern is students that trespass behind the fence of the railroad. Students are trespassing if they enter the fenced area that extends 50 feet from either side of the railway, Bierman said. She emphasized that not only is this a felony, students are harming themselves. "It's just not safe," Bierman said. Bierman said the main reason that the Department of Student Life along with the University has taken on this campaign was the death of Walker Best and his parents' requests to help inform students of safety matters. The department is also working to have a platform removed from the intersection of Wellborn Road and George Bush Drive, because it is hazardous and gives students an easier way to jump trains, Bierman said.
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