Safety concerns at what's considered a dangerous intersection in Central East Austin where cars and the new metro commuter rail cross has spurred the city to take action.
Five days after MetroRail service began KVUE cameras caught drivers stopped on the tracks at the intersection of east 51st Street and Airport Blvd. The problem -- when the light is red, only one to two cars can fit before cars back up onto the tracks.
“I thought there was room for two cars there,” said Jim Greene, motorist. “Now it doesn't look like it so I'm kind of in no-man’s land caught on the tracks.”
That's what happened to Niki Ratliff, and she got a ticket.
“I was sandwiched because of the red light I turned right from Clarkson on to 51st,” said Ratliff. “So when I did stop I was on the railroad tracks and he gave me a ticket -- not a warning, but a ticket.”
Stopping on the tracks or trying to beat the railroad crossing arm is not only dangerous, it’s illegal. Since Monday, APD officers have been issuing tickets to drivers stopped illegally on the tracks.
At the 51st Street and Airport Blvd intersection alone, APD officers have handed out 173 tickets and 24 warnings to drivers for stopping on the tracks or underneath crossing gates. The citation is a Class C misdemeanor. It will cost you anywhere from $200 to $500.
“I think people need to see the train for it to make a difference, and I guess enough people haven't seen the train yet,” said Craig Drimel.
Late Friday afternoon, engineers released a report on options for keeping cars from ending up on the tracks. Starting Saturday, the city will install posts and signs at the intersection. Drivers traveling northbound and southbound on Clarkson Avenue will no longer be able to right or left from Clarkson onto 51st Street. The city calls this a first step.
More restrictive measures may be considered as needed, such as making Clarkson Avenue one-way northbound and southbound away from the intersection, installing a median barrier on 51st Street at Clarkson or a traffic signal. The Austin Police Department, Capital Metro and the city will continue to monitor the intersection in the coming weeks.
