Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-23
The Crade-CrOssing
Treadmill
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.

fed with the story of bus load of
school children being wiped out when
a railway train plunges, amid anguished
cries and the sound of splintering wood
and rending steel, into the conveyance.
On each such occasion, there is re-
newed agitation for the elimination Of
railway grade crossings.
The present administration has I'm
dertaken a program, in connection with
the public works efforts toward grade
crossing elimination, and there is no
doubt that progress is being made. Yet
the major problem seems far from So
luton. When an individual reads of
a Embarrassing disaster he visualizes
the particular place, if he knows it. or,
if not, some one or more other grade
crossings, and thinks what a crying
shame it is that such things can be.
What the individual usually fails to
realize is the magnitude of the task Of
elimination.
The individual may call to his mind
half dozen, dozen, or perhaps score
OF grade crossings which he knows. What
he fails to realize is that there are in
the United States 234,178 grade crossings.
The American people have always
prided themselves on their willingness
to undertake the most formidable tasks
and upon their ability to perform them.
Were the task of eliminating grade
crossings static one, such as the re-
moval of Pixies Peak, it might be cheer
fully undertaken with good hope Of
success.
The grade crossing problem consti-
tutes. curious sort of treadmill. In
1926. for example, there were 233,701
grade crossings on class railroads and
last year there were 234,178-an in
crease of ATT crossings, ATT more men,
aces to life, not only lives of occupants
of highway vehicles, but of train pas
sengerS, because a train is in danger
of being derailed whenever it strikes an
obstacle.
The dismaying fact is that, during
this same period in which there was a
net increase of ATT in the number of
grade crossings 14,476 were eliminated.
Railroad companies alone or in CO.
operation with local highway authorities
have been working ceaselessly and at
high expense to eliminate these danger
Gus crossings. but they have been in
much the same position as King Canute
in attempting to stop the incoming tide!
The suburbs of American cities have
been growing with accelerated rapidity
since the automobile became so widely
distributed. City workers have wanted
to get out in freer air to live and the
automobile has made this possible. This
situation inevitably has resulted in the
development of suburban real estate.
Averages of farm lands have been SUBJ
divided, streets cut through and paved,
and whole communities have sprung up.
AS such land developments are neces-
sarily near large cities large populations
are affected, and the dangers OF dis
aster at the crossings of the new streets
and roads are multiplied.
Then, too. the tremendous surge OF
highway development in rural areas has
tended to increase the number Of grade
crossings. Country lanes which seldom
were used have been improved to
accommodate motor traffic, and the
crossing once used two or three times
week by plodding farm team now
has stream of cars, trucks and buses
going over it.
In the last nine years there have been
a great many grade-crossing accidents
and scores of lives have been lost in
them. But the amazing fact is that
during that same period grade crossings
have been eliminated at the rate Of more
than four each day! There are 3,285
days in nine years, and in nine years
14.476 grade crossings have been elini-
mated. These figures emphasize the
magnitude of the task, and the fact
that during that same period new grade
crossings have been created at an even
more rapid rate shows how much easier
the task of moving Pixies Peak would
be. Once moved, Pixies Peak would
stay moved.
Railroad engineers have estimated that
| the cost of eliminating all grade cross
ings in the United States in one
enormous. concerted effort would be
about $4,000 100000. This figure is equal
| to half what the national debt is now,
| and it also is equal to the entire value
| of the American railroads or close to 1t.
A few hundred million dollars contrib
uted by the Public Works Administra-
| ton would make very small dent.
| Insuperable as the task of eliminating
grade crossings appears from these facts,
the cause of safety actually is winning.
| The figures given cover period OF nine
years, revealing net increase in spite
of the elimination of more than four
a day. A close analysis of the record,
year by year. however, reveals that lat
terly there has been an improvement.
For example, in 1926 the railroads eliml-
mated 1884 grade crossings, but 1875
new ones were created.
This sort of unbaiance kept on, the
worst year being 1928. Although 1,204
grade crossings were eliminated in that
year, 2,O68 were constructed. That was
a year of active real estate development
and road building and new streets and
| roads were being thrown across railway
| lines constantly. In 1880, the first year
| of the great depression, the score began
| to change. In that year only l,84S new
| grade crossings were built, while 1884
| were eliminated. In each year since
| the number eliminated has exceeded the
| number of new ones. Last year made
| remarkably good showing. There were
| Examinations of 2106 grade crossings
while only 998 new ones were con-
structed. But even with these hearten-
ing figures, the nine-year period SHOWS
a net increase in crossings.
| The great amount of propaganda
which has been carried on in the In
terests of safety is, In part, responsible
for the improved score. but another
factor is the relative dormancy OF the
real estate development business. OF
ali industries. the construction industry
| -. - iau,aet ot,h during the hard