Penngrove SMART train median barriers called a hazard

Preparations for commuter rail in the North Bay are sparking discontent in Penngrove, where some residents say new safety barriers at rail crossings instead pose safety hazards.

The low-slung concrete barriers, which are less than a foot tall, are meant to dissuade motorists from changing lanes and scooting around rail gates as trains operated by the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit authority approach intersections.

But some residents complain that motorists have been inadvertently striking the barriers, causing crashes and damage to vehicles. Others express fears that a barrier on Main Street will create dangers during the town’s annual Fourth of July parade by forcing horses and floats into closer proximity to parade-watchers.

“It’s dangerous. It’s too close for com- fort,” said Kim Hanson, who owns?JavAmore and is the parade’s chairwoman.

Similar barriers are expected to be in place at 42 rail crossings in Sonoma and Marin counties by the time passenger service on the commuter rail line begins, a date currently set for late 2016.

A SMART official on Friday defended the barrier design, saying it meets industry standards and that it was the result of a collaborative effort between the rail agency, the county of Sonoma and the California Public Utilities Commission, which has ultimate authority over the design.

Nevertheless, SMART officials are planning to unveil an alternate design Tuesday evening at a town hall meeting in Penngrove organized by critics of the current structures.

“We’re trying to balance the needs and wants of the community with regulatory safety measures,” said Jennifer Welch, a spokeswoman for SMART.

Some residents have questioned why SMART doesn’t simply make the rail gates longer to dissuade cars from driving around them, but officials with the rail agency say cars caught between the gates as a train is approaching need a way to get out.

The Penngrove locations where the barriers have been installed include rail crossings on Ely Road, Main Street - which is also known as Petaluma Hill Road - Adobe Road and East Railroad Avenue.

Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, a member of SMART’s board of directors, expressed support for doing away with concrete barriers at some locations, including on Main Street in order to address parade concerns.

“It’s either that, or redirect the Fourth of July parade. I’d hate to go down that path,” he said.

He cited problems with the Ely Road barrier, which was submerged during winter storms. Rabbitt said low ground fog also can obscure the barrier.

“One could say, ‘Don’t drive in the middle of the road and don’t hit the median.’ But things happen,” he said.

The barriers are meant to be extra safety precautions at so-called “quiet zone” rail crossings where SMART trains will pass through without sounding horns or other warnings.

Reflective signs are affixed atop the concrete barriers as visible warnings to motorists. But the signs can be knocked over.

“The markers get knocked off and become their own hazards for cars to hit or swerve around,” said Greg Karraker, a vocal SMART critic and Penngrove resident who is leading the effort for design changes. He said a letter his group submitted to the CPUC demanding such changes included a petition with 200 signatures.

The main feature of the alternate barrier design SMART will unveil Tuesday night is that it is lower to the ground and constructed of rubber so that vehicles can pass over it.

Emailed a photo of the proposed barrier, Karraker said the design appeared to be a “safer alternative” and a “much better solution than the current concrete hazards.”

On the other hand, if the barriers allow for easier passage, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of trying to prevent motorists from going around rail gates as trains approach?

“We can only do so much, and it really comes down to the community taking an approach to safety that includes making good choices while driving,” Welch said.

Tuesday’s meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at the Penngrove Social Firemen’s clubhouse on Woodward Avenue.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.