TriMet conducts WES safety campaign
June 20, 2011
Summer safety campaign starts June 22
TriMet is partnering with Portland and Western Railroad to kick off a summer safety campaign along its WES Commuter Rail line. The service runs during weekday rush hour between Beaverton and Wilsonville on heavy rail tracks, which is an illegal and dangerous place for people to walk, ride bikes or play.
The campaign includes enforcement and awareness missions where TriMet Transit Police Division officers will be patrolling the areas around the alignment during WES commute hours the weeks of June 20 and June 27.
Targeted areas
Transit Police officers are targeting locations in Tualatin where youth have been gathering in wooded areas near the tracks and in Beaverton where riders have illegally crossed the tracks instead of using a nearby crosswalk.
Since trespassing on railroad tracks is illegal, officers will be looking for trespassers and will issue citations for violations of this and common traffic-related offenses. Since last year's safety effort, TriMet has installed fencing and gate arms at pedestrian crossings to curb traffic-related violations. This year's focus will be on youth and adults on foot.
The safety campaign also includes TriMet safety ads running in local theaters all summer to reach people along the WES alignment and fliers with safety information included in back to school mailings.
Last year in the United States, 445 people were killed in railroad trespassing incidents and 390 more were injured.
Safety tips
- Don't trespass on private property including railroad tracks.
- Do not walk, bike or play on the tracks or on railroad bridges.
- Don't cross the tracks at unregulated crossings.
- Don't speed through intersections as crossing gates are coming down.
- Always obey railroad signage and warning devices
Citations and fines
It is illegal to trespass on railroad tracks. Criminal trespassing can be a Class A misdemeanor with a fine up to $6,250 and up to a year in prison.
Traffic-related offenses around railroad tracks include:
- Unlawful interference with a traffic control device or railroad sign, $427 fine
- Failure to stop for a railroad signal, $242 fine
- Obstructing a rail crossing, $242 fine
- Pedestrian failure to obey a bridge or railroad signal, $97 fine
About WES
The 14.7-mile WES line operates weekday rush hour service connecting Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville in a 27-minute commute. WES travels an average 37 mph with a maximum of 60 mph. About 8,200 rides are taken on WES each week, a 30 percent increase in ridership from when the service began in February 2009.