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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 19, 2019 11:33 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Robert F. Matzie |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution - Recognizing September 22 - 28, 2019, as "Rail Safety Week" in PA |
| I will be introducing a resolution designating the week of September 22 to September 28, 2019, as “Rail Safety Week” in Pennsylvania. It is my hope that this resolution will raise awareness across our Commonwealth of the need for rail safety education and empower the public to keep themselves safe near railroad tracks. This will run in conjunction with “US Rail Safety Week,” with the shared goal reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. While gains have been made in highway-rail crossing safety, much more remains to be done. Although crossing collisions have plummeted by 83 percent over the past four decades, federal statistics show that there were 263 crossing fatalities in 2018 alone. Trespassing is an even bigger problem. Every day, people are walking, exercising and taking pictures on or too close to the tracks, resulting in 1,022 deaths and injuries - up nearly 18% from 2015. Shockingly, in the US, a person or vehicle is hit by a train about every three hours. By declaring September 22 to September 28, 2019, “Rail Safety Week” in Pennsylvania, we in the PA House of Representatives will call attention to the need for renewed dedication to saving lives near tracks and trains. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this resolution. |
Introduced as HR482