[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S605-S606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 197. A bill to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion at 
grade crossings; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today in Glendale, CA, there was a tragic 
commuter train crash. All of the details of the crash are not available 
at this moment. However, at least 10 people were killed and over 100 
injured. The National Transportation Safety Board has already sent a 
team to investigate.
  I have been talking about the problem of grade crossings and the need 
for grade separations for several years.
  According to the Federal Railroad Administration, ``grade crossings 
are the site of the greatest number of collisions and injuries'' in the 
railroad industry. In 2000, there were 3,502 incidents at grade 
crossings.
  In addition, the large volume of freight train traffic from 
California's ports to the rest of the Nation is a public safety hazard 
on many communities

[[Page S606]]

in California where traffic, including emergency vehicles, is severely 
delayed at these grade crossings.
  In Riverside, CA, from January 2001 to January 2003, trains delayed 
ambulance and fire protection 88 times. This translates into more 
people possibly dying from health emergencies such as heart attacks and 
larger and more deadly fires. If there is another terrorist attack, 
imagine what would happen if emergency first responders could not get 
across the tracks.
  To address the safety problem of accidents and other safety hazards 
at grade crossings, I am introducing the Rail Crossing Safety Act, part 
of which passed the Senate twice in the last Congress as part larger 
railroad bills considered in the Commerce Committee.
  This legislation would direct the Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation with State and local government officials, to conduct a 
study of the impact of grade crossings both on accidents and on the 
ability of emergency responders to perform public safety and security 
duties. This would include the ability of police, fire, ambulances, and 
other emergency vehicles to cross the railroad tracks during 
emergencies.
  The second part of the legislation would authorize funds for the 
Secretary of Transportation to provide grants to State and local 
governments to undertake grade separations, in other words to build 
bridges and tunnels.
  Today's incident in Glendale only underscores the needs to make our 
streets and rail lines safer. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
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