MetroRail is a great service, and people have been relying on it for more than a decade to go into work, get to Austin’s many special events or simply find a spot to grab food and drinks with friends late on a Friday night. And this year has seen a host of new train lovers with the opening of Q2 Stadium and the first season for Austin FC.
It’s a perfect way to get to the soccer game with everyone in great spirits and getting ready for the game.
But you have to know, no one gets to have fun at the game (or at the brewpub or at the office … if you’ve got one of those kinds of offices) if you don’t get there safely.
Operation Lifesaver’s Rail Safety Week comes every September — this year’s is Sep. 20-26 — and we’d like to remind you of the absolute need to keep safe behavior around rail tracks at all times.
According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, a person or vehicle is struck by a train at a highway rail grade crossing every four hours? Trains can’t stop quickly. A freight train that is traveling 55 miles per hour can take more than a mile to stop, even if an emergency application of the brakes is applied.
Our MetroRail trains generally travel slower than that, but they’re still very large vehicles moving very fast. Don’t try them. They’ll win.
Follow these tips to stay safe and help reduce the number of incidents at rail tracks:
- Stop if you see flashing red lights.
- Only cross at a designated public crossing. Crossing at any other place is trespassing, illegal and dangerous.
- Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing.
- Only cross if gate arms are up, lights have stopped flashing and bells have stopped ringing.
Be safe and be smart. If you are going to the game at Q2 Stadium, please look out for the flashing lights and rail arms and NEVER trespass by walking along tracks outside of designated public crossings.