Ungated High Street
So the Internet was abuzz last week when some nitwit Amherst teenage girl played chicken with an Amtrak train in Cushman Center (North Amherst) while her nitwit sister took a picture. Gotta love somebody near the train aficionados video camera exclaim "what the fuck" as the girl first enters the frame and ambles to the center of the tracks and then sprints back.
Of course if that crossing had gates chances are the girl would not have done the deed. Although certainly not guaranteed prevention as evidenced by last month's horrific accident that claimed the lives of five teenagers where the driver decided to race an Amtrak train and went around the gates.
Station Road with gatesThe Railroad closed off Railroad Street, where Amtrak's historic brick train station is located, after a car train mishap a few years back. Apparently they own the north side of the street and it's not a public way (although open to thru traffic for over 200 years) so they simply decided only trains would have the right of way.
Barricaded Railroad StreetBut now I'm wondering why the town had to repave the railroad crossing on Strong Street (and any cyclist would agree it was L-O-N-G past due) where gates used to exist but seemed to have disappeared recently.
Formerly gated and now repaved Strong Street.I'm told that Cushman Center is slated for gates, but who knows when (he called it "railroad time"). Maybe after the next time a kid plays chicken--and loses.
Ungated Cushman Center.
