NY Lawmaker Pushes Bill For Rail Crossing Study

An assemblyman from the Hudson Valley is pushing his bill that requires state study of rail crossings. Democratic Assemblyman Tom Abinanti is calling for the passage of his bill that would direct the New York State Department of Transportation to conduct a statewide study of level grade rail crossings. Abinanti first introduced the bill following the fatal February 2015 Metro-North crash – where a commuter train collided with an SUV at a highway railroad grade crossing in Valhalla. Abinanti’s district includes Valhalla. In a recent letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Abinanti requested that money be put in the state budget to fund a DOT study on how to improve safety at rail crossings.