Denton County Transportation Authority
DCTA promotes rail safety
By Tim Blackwell
For the Denton Record-Chronicle
W
ith the start of school just around the corner, Denton County residents are sure to make the most of their final few days of summer vacation as memorable as possible. That may mean spending more time in various parts of the county and knowingly or unknowingly mingling with the DCTA A-train. DCTA officials want to remind community members that getting too close to moving trains is dangerous and illegal. Motorists should practice grade crossing safety and never try to
18
beat the train, and pedestrians should not trespass on tracks which may appear to be unoccupied. Safety starts at home, says DCTA Vice President of Marketing and Communications Kristina Brevard. “It’s important for parents to remind children that the tracks are not a place to play, and they are not a sidewalk,” she said. The message isn’t just limited to practicing safety around the A-train. Three of the nation’s major Class I freight railroads – Union Pacific (UP), Kansas City
Southern and BNSF Railway – pass through the county daily. Several long Union Pacific trains pass through Downtown Denton, briefly paralleling Mingo Road, Bell Avenue and South Locust and crossing a number of streets. UP spokesman Steve Lazzari
says almost two years after the railroad industry enjoyed one of its safest years ever, highwayrail incidents at public and private crossings and trespassing incidents are on the rise at a startling rate. See SAFETY on Page 19
A-train