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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | July 24, 2024 03:18 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Robert F. Matzie |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Rail Safety Week in PA: September 23-29, 2024 |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution designating the week of September 23 to September 29, 2024, as “Rail Safety Week” in Pennsylvania. It is my hope that this resolution will raise awareness across our Commonwealth of the need for rail safety education and empower the public to keep themselves safe near railroad tracks. This will run in conjunction with Operation Lifesaver’s nationwide awareness campaign called “See Tracks? Think Train® Week”, which seeks to reduce collisions, fatalities, and injuries at highway-rail crossings, and prevent trespassing on or near railroad tracks. While gains have been made in highway-rail crossing safety, much more remains to be done. Although crossing collisions have plummeted by 82 percent over the past four decades, federal statistics show that there were 274 crossing fatalities in 2022 alone. Trespassing is an even bigger problem. Every day, people are walking, exercising and taking pictures on or too close to the tracks, resulting in 1,197 deaths and injuries in 2022 - up over 10% since 2018. Shockingly, in the US, a person or vehicle is hit by a train about every three hours. By declaring September 23 to September 29, 2024, “Rail Safety Week” in Pennsylvania, we in the PA House of Representatives will call attention to the need for renewed dedication to saving lives near tracks and trains. In light of recent train derailments in Pennsylvania and across the country, I believe this resolution is more important than ever. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this resolution. |