The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has joined transportation departments across the nation in recognizing Rail Safety Week while also reminding residents to be safe on or near crossings daily.
While Sept. 21-27 serves as Rail Safety Week, Florida officials said the state is continually initiating endeavors to bolster rail safety.
“Safety is at the core of everything we do here at the department,” Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault said. “In December, we set out to create a new standard for rail safety in the state with Operation STRIDE. In just 10 months, FDOT has made significant progress in the implementation of this initiative, which will have a substantial impact on increasing rail safety awareness and preventing tragedies on or near rail crossings statewide.”
Per FDOT, Operation STRIDE (Statewide Traffic and Railroad Initiative using Dynamic Envelopes) was established in December 2019 and includes engineering countermeasures, education, and enforcement efforts to provide a comprehensive strategy to prevent fatalities.
A Dynamic Envelope is an area near railroad crossings designed to keep motorists out of the danger zone. White connecting X’s visually highlight the zone at railroad crossings that drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians should not stop to increase safety for motorists.
FDOT indicated since Operation STRIDE began, the agency has seen a reduction in rail crossing incidents statewide. It will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the countermeasure as the data begins to normalize.