Looks like there's been another one, this time on Brooks Street. I am sure it has to do with Norman being such a pedestrian town. I'm curious, do sidewalk-friendly cities in other parts of the country do anything special to help keep these sorts of things from happening?

http://www.newsok.com/man-killed-at-brooks-street-railroad-crossing-in-norman/article/3568183?custom_click=lead_story_photo

He must have been deaf, cuz it was obvious the train would be whistling so loud for a long time from afar. Or he committed suicide, cuz its quite easy to see a train when crossing.

I'm curious, do sidewalk-friendly cities in other parts of the country do anything special to help keep these sorts of things from happening?

Chicago has short crossing guard arms that come down in front of the side walks on both sides of the track, but they also have the guard arms cover the full length of the street on both sides of the track as well. Might be so they can have the trains not blow the horns, since their traffic volume is so heavy it would be going all day and somewhat into the night.

He may have been listening to music if he was out for a jog but still seems a little hard to believe he missed the horns, lights, gate chimes and motion of the gates going down at that crossing. Granted they only block one way but unless they just were not working should get your attention one way or another. Their are fences that would restrict most peoples movements to near enough the gates that you would need to be distracted or not have several senses to be completely unaware.

Looks like there's been another one, this time on Brooks Street. I am sure it has to do with Norman being such a pedestrian town. I'm curious, do sidewalk-friendly cities in other parts of the country do anything special to help keep these sorts of things from happening?

http://www.newsok.com/man-killed-at-brooks-street-railroad-crossing-in-norman/article/3568183?custom_click=lead_story_photo

I'm sorry but that's incorrect. From the news reports I heard it was a suicide by train. The man walked right in front of the train on purpose.

I'm sorry but that's incorrect. From the news reports I heard it was a suicide by train. The man walked right in front of the train on purpose.

That makes a lot more sense. No way ever can there be an accident involving pedestrian vs train.

With an exception, I think it was Texas, a Miss Deaf Texas was walking along the tracks and texting. Common mistaken belief was that deaf people would be able to feel the vibration from the train. Well, she did not, and the train murdered her from behind.

Trainicide is, quite sadly, not uncommon.

Always suicides when we are talking pedestrians vs trains

I'm sorry but that's incorrect. From the news reports I heard it was a suicide by train. The man walked right in front of the train on purpose.

That very well may end up being the case, but NewsOK did not report it that way yesterday and The Norman Transcript is still reporting it as an accident today.

I do think it is a legitimate question though (how can we prevent these...), because I remember like a year ago some kid who was jogging and listening to his iPod accidentally crossed right in front of a train. That one might have been ruled a suicide too if there hadn't been witnesses.

You know on Boyd there are paved sidewalks that go right up to the train tracks and stop at both sides. On Brooks there is a little unpaved jogging trail that people use that is to the North of the street that crosses over the tracks.

Especially on Boyd I have to wonder if the city doesn't unintentionally take some ownership in this issue by paving sidewalks right up to the tracks.

That very well may end up being the case, but NewsOK did not report it that way yesterday and The Norman Transcript is still reporting it as an accident today.

I do think it is a legitimate question though (how can we prevent these...), because I remember like a year ago some kid who was jogging and listening to his iPod accidentally crossed right in front of a train. That one might have been ruled a suicide too if there hadn't been witnesses.

You know on Boyd there are paved sidewalks that go right up to the train tracks and stop at both sides. On Brooks there is a little unpaved jogging trail that people use that is to the North of the street that crosses over the tracks.

Especially on Boyd I have to wonder if the city doesn't unintentionally take some ownership in this issue by paving sidewalks right up to the tracks.
If people are going to be that oblivious to their surroundings they deserve what fate befalls them, if you are on a training run and you know that you are coming up on railroad tracks why wouldn't you look both ways as if you were crossing a street? There has to be a level of personal responsibility taken by everyone even though I know that some people desire that personal responsibility no longer exists. If someone gets run over by a train it is pretty much always 100% their own fault.

The sidewalks need to be paved crossings for accessibility reasons.

That very well may end up being the case, but NewsOK did not report it that way yesterday and The Norman Transcript is still reporting it as an accident today.

I do think it is a legitimate question though (how can we prevent these...), because I remember like a year ago some kid who was jogging and listening to his iPod accidentally crossed right in front of a train. That one might have been ruled a suicide too if there hadn't been witnesses.

You know on Boyd there are paved sidewalks that go right up to the train tracks and stop at both sides. On Brooks there is a little unpaved jogging trail that people use that is to the North of the street that crosses over the tracks.

Especially on Boyd I have to wonder if the city doesn't unintentionally take some ownership in this issue by paving sidewalks right up to the tracks.


So are you saying the City should stop sidewalks 50', 100', from the tracks, makes absolutely no sense. How would this prevent someone from walking/running/jumping into the path of a train

I've got friends who were railroad people for forty plus years (they retired, last year). They are very nice people but were left with the notion that people can be complete idiots when it comes to trains.

It's also hard on the rail crew, most of the time they are the first responders and will have a hard time shaking it out of there heads before returning back to work . It's realy sad for all involved.

It's also hard on the rail crew, most of the time they are the first responders and will have a hard time shaking it out of there heads before returning back to work . It's realy sad for all involved.

I remember hearing some of interviews of other incidents describing seeing what was going to happen and it occurring but were already giving as much warning as they could and have no way of stopping the train in time.

That makes a lot more sense. No way ever can there be an accident involving pedestrian vs train.


Actually there was a pedestrian vs train accident several years ago at the Symmes St. crossing. A man and his kids were stopped at the crossing and the father got out to put a coin on the tracks and the train hit him.

Actually there was a pedestrian vs train accident several years ago at the Symmes St. crossing. A man and his kids were stopped at the crossing and the father got out to put a coin on the tracks and the train hit him.

Obviously a suicide. He can see the train. No exception.

Obviously a suicide. He can see the train. No exception.


Thunder, you're ruling out the possibility of the man seeing the train, but deciding he had enough time to lay down the coin and back away.
Making a choice that is high risk for little reward, especially in front of one's children, is in my opinion downright stupid.

However, being stupid is not the same as being suicidal.

It's also hard on the rail crew, most of the time they are the first responders and will have a hard time shaking it out of there heads before returning back to work . It's realy sad for all involved.
So true.

Actually there was a pedestrian vs train accident several years ago at the Symmes St. crossing. A man and his kids were stopped at the crossing and the father got out to put a coin on the tracks and the train hit him.

I was in a block from that when it happened. Didn't know what was going on until I read about it the next day. How horrifying for those children.

So are you saying the City should stop sidewalks 50', 100', from the tracks, makes absolutely no sense. How would this prevent someone from walking/running/jumping into the path of a train

Oh no, I'm not saying that at all. I'm just thinking that maybe it's time to start thinking about adding some sort of gate system on the walking trails over there. I'm sure some people would argue against it saying it isn't needed, but then people probably said the same things about railroad gate arms on streets when they first came out. I'm just surprised no one has even asked the question and considered it. I'd rather pay for something like that then more stupid speed humps.

... ... ... They can just run/jog/walk around it. How about setting up miles and miles of 10+ feet of fences on both side of tracks topped with curly sharp wires? Leave no gap. Have them covered all the way to the concrete/asphalt roads. Install video cameras at all crossings. Place huge warning signs saying if anything is to happen that the family will be presented with evidence and be billed for the cost of city emergency services and railroad shipping/transit resulting in delayed time, etc.

Will that even work?

... ... ... They can just run/jog/walk around it. How about setting up miles and miles of 10+ feet of fences on both side of tracks topped with curly sharp wires? Leave no gap. Have them covered all the way to the concrete/asphalt roads. Install video cameras at all crossings. Place huge warning signs saying if anything is to happen that the family will be presented with evidence and be billed for the cost of city emergency services and railroad shipping/transit resulting in delayed time, etc.

Will that even work?

I know you're making a joke, Thunder, but it's a good one. There comes a point where you just can't totally protect people from themselves and they have to take some personal responsibility for their actions which get them in trouble.

Oh no, I'm not saying that at all. I'm just thinking that maybe it's time to start thinking about adding some sort of gate system on the walking trails over there. I'm sure some people would argue against it saying it isn't needed, but then people probably said the same things about railroad gate arms on streets when they first came out. I'm just surprised no one has even asked the question and considered it. I'd rather pay for something like that then more stupid speed humps.

So are you saying if someone was determined to commit sucicide by jumping in front of a train, that a 4 foot wooden arm would stop them ?

I'm sorry but that's incorrect. From the news reports I heard it was a suicide by train. The man walked right in front of the train on purpose.

It happens, though it's very sad. In the world's biggest cities (New York, London, Moscow, Paris, Tokyo) this happens every day in the metro/subway/underground system. In St. Petersburg they have a very unique horizontal lift design which features screen doors, which make it impossible to jump in front of the train. Tokyo has an extremely huge problem with suicides and has never been able to come up with a solution for it.

... ... ... They can just run/jog/walk around it. How about setting up miles and miles of 10+ feet of fences on both side of tracks topped with curly sharp wires? Leave no gap. Have them covered all the way to the concrete/asphalt roads. Install video cameras at all crossings. Place huge warning signs saying if anything is to happen that the family will be presented with evidence and be billed for the cost of city emergency services and railroad shipping/transit resulting in delayed time, etc.

Will that even work?

First of all, I know you were being facetious, but I am guessing you don't actually live in Norman, in which case I have no idea why you care. The reason I don't think you live in Norman is because if you did, you would realize that we actually do have fencing along portions of the railroad tracks along Main Street near the depot. They are in place to protect pedestrians from accidentally crossing over from nearby parks and the downtown area.

Secondly, as I think has been apparent from my very first post, the suggestions I have made are from the standpoint of preventing accidents. If someone wants to kill themselves by jumping in front of a train nothing is going to stop them. If someone is going to do something overtly risky like running around a lowered gate, then that is no less crazy than a driver of a car attempting to do the same thing on the street. But that is just not the same, in my mind, as a kid wearing ear-buds getting "in the zone" while running and accidentally stepping in front of a train. Before you respond to me with how crazy my scenario is realize that this is exactly what happened a year ago, as documented by witnesses and reported in The Norman Transcript. I have said since my very first post that I do not presume to know whether or not this current incident was an accident or intentional. But I know that more than one incident in the past has been an accident and am saying that it is unusual that no one has asked the question of how we might prevent additional accidents. Apparently we have no problem throwing speed humps up around town or lining I-35 throughout Norman with Branniff Barriers, so I just don't see how the question I have posed is any more or less radical.