Fines Go Up for Drivers Who Ignore Rail Gates

Hoping to stem the tide of rail-related deaths and injuries, fines for motorists ignoring closed rail crossing gates along Metro Blue Line and MetroLink railroad tracks will jump substantially Jan. 1 under legislation signed Friday by Gov. Gray Davis.

The minimum fine for driving through closed rail crossing gates would jump to $271, the same amount charged motorists who violate carpool lanes on freeways.

That represents a jump of $167 from the current minimum of $103.

Under the bill, written by Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks), local transit agencies throughout the state would receive 30% of each fine, or at least $81. The money would be earmarked for local safety programs.

The new fine would raise an estimated $200,000 for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, one of the sponsors of the bill.

But raising money is secondary to creating a major new deterrent, said MTA spokesman Marc Littman.

Since 1990, when the Blue Line began, there have been 402 accidents and 47 fatalities, according to the MTA. Accidents involving MetroLink trains have claimed 16 lives and resulted in 38 injuries since the commuter rail line began in 1992.

“The purpose of the bill is to save lives and reduce injuries,” Littman said. “It will really help us in terms of our effort to improve safety for both the Blue Line and MetroLink.”