PROVO, Utah — This week, Utah Transit Authority and its partners are celebrating Rail Safety Week with different themes and activities. The goal is to bring more awareness to rail safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers about the dangers of unsafe behaviors near tracks.
The theme is “Every sign tells a story”, which emphasizes the importance of each sign on the railway.
On Tuesday, UTA Police Captain Jason Petersen said they’ll have officers and Utah Highway Patrol officers around the stations to educate drivers and pedestrians about how they should stay safe.
“The top tips are just to not be distracted,” he said. “We see a lot of people walking around train tracks with their nose in their phones, got earbuds in, and not paying attention to their surroundings. So when you’re entering or exiting a platform or walking around the train tracks, pay attention to signs, sounds, and surrounding areas.”
On Wednesday, Utah Operation Lifesaver will be at the Provo City School District transportation department for a school bus media ride-along on the railroad tracks.
On Thursday, UTA will host an interactive exhibit at Salt Lake Central Station from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. with K-9 demonstrations and hands-on learning opportunities for the community.
Utah Operation Lifesaver will be distributing educational materials at different high school football games on Friday evening. Those high schools are Fremont High School, Viewpoint High School, West High School, Jordan High School, and Skyridge High School.
All families are welcome to have a free train ride on Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to Noon at Shay Park.
One railway rider, Lexi Petersen, uses it every day to get to school at the University of Utah because she said it’s cheaper than parking at the U. She said she’s constantly paying attention and makes sure not to have her ear buds in her ears. "I make sure to look both ways just in case because I never want to risk anything,” she said. "You know, like life is so short you never want to risk anything.”
