Gov. Jared Polis has officially proclaimed September 15-21 as "See Tracks? Think Train" Week in Colorado, a safety initiative aimed at urging residents to exercise caution when near railroads. This comes at a time when recent incidents have sparked a renewed focus on the dangers of rail crossings.
During this week, a joint campaign from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Operation Lifesaver and network partners, emphasizes the critical importance of being vigilant at rail crossings, where a train traveling at 55 MPH cannot stop swiftly and will require over a mile, the length of more than 17 football fields to come to a halt, according to PUC Director Rebecca White, as obtained by CDOT.
Statistics released for the year 2025 illustrate a worrying trend with two fatalities and five injuries resulting from 32 crashes in Colorado, following 46 crashes that led to 24 injuries and one fatality the previous year, underscoring a persistent risk at railroad crossings, many of which are equipped with active warnings like gates and alarms yet still pose significant dangers when these signals are ignored; this situation accentuates the need for heightened public awareness and adherence to safety protocols as communicated by CDOT's Executive Director Shoshana Lew who told CDOT, “We remind all travelers to pay attention to the warning signs at railroad crossings and stay on the lookout for trains.”
Rural areas in the state present unique challenges with their 960 passive crossings that lack the automatic signals of the 784 active ones, the "See Tracks? Think Train" initiative stresses the extra degree of caution necessary in these zones, while RTD, overseeing 10 rail lines in the Denver metro region, echoes the sentiment of collective responsibility and care needed from transit operators and commuters alike, with RTD General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson emphasizing the significance of safe conduct near tracks to CDOT, stating, “The need to conduct oneself in a safe manner around railroad crossings and train tracks is paramount to all customers we serve within the communities our trains travel.”
