Beverly Train Stations: SAFE-T FOR ALL
City and state leaders must require the MBTA to implement safety measures at the Beverly Commuter Rail Stations.
These are preventable deaths. Simple measures go a long way: Better signage, auditory signals, gates.
The Problem.
Despite a lengthy history of too many preventable injuries and deaths resulting from trains striking pedestrians and bicyclists, none of Beverly’s 5 commuter rail stations contain standard, low-cost, active crossing devices to keep all of us safe.
On April 8th, 2020, commuter rail safety officials listed Beverly Depot as a “top 20 problematic station” in the Commonwealth.
Since 2017, seven incidents occurred in Beverly, including 2 fatal strikes at Beverly Depot and a fatal strike near Monserrat Station.
The Impact.
Lesley Mottla, a startup executive in Boston, witnessed Emerson College Professor Moses Shumow, get struck by a commuter rail at Beverly Depot on October 22nd, 2019.
“Like me, most are crossing that minimally marked/no alerts crosswalk rushing to catch the Boston train and looking to see if the inbound train is coming (to not miss it) which, unfortunately, also means we may avoid looking left” … “How can I help to create the case that this crosswalk at Beverly needs more than a sign? We can’t have another loss like this, and we owe some sort of action to his wife and children.” - Lesley Mottla to MassLive.com
Source: Chris Van Buskirk |. “Four Years after Train Kills Professor at Beverly Depot, Still No Gate, No Signal, No Horn.” Masslive, 27 Feb. 2023Nick White, a Boston-area project manager, wrote in an Oct. 24, 2019, email to state officials that he had held Shumow’s hand as he died.
“I witnessed the entire incident, and while I do not believe anybody was at fault for [sic] in this traffic accident, as I sat there with Dr. Shumow, wedged between the train and the fence, telling him he was not alone, I couldn’t help but think how needless this accident was,” White wrote to Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill, Sen. Joan Lovely, and Rep. Jared Parisella.
Source: Chris Van Buskirk |. “Four Years after Train Kills Professor at Beverly Depot, Still No Gate, No Signal, No Horn.” Masslive, 27 Feb. 2023National safety expert, Carl Berkowitz, quoted in MassLive:
“Most pedestrian crossings in the United States similar to the one at Beverly Depot feature flashing lights, warning signs, and barriers that come down when a train is approaching the station”
“Both sides of the crossing should have a combination of swing gates, light, signal assembly and overhead lighting.”
“We’re talking thousands, not millions.”
Source: Chris Van Buskirk |. “Four Years after Train Kills Professor at Beverly Depot, Still No Gate, No Signal, No Horn.” Masslive, 27 Feb. 2023The Solution.
