| Caltrain is poised to pay nearly $3 million | | | | has erected barriers along a few segments of |
| for fencing to keep people from crossing its | | | | track. |
| tracks illegally. | | | | |
| | | | They include the spots in Burlingame and |
| A total of about 10 miles of chain-link, | | | | Redwood City, where 13- year-old Fatih Kuc |
| metal and wire mesh will go up at strategic | | | | and 19-year-old Jose Alvarez were killed in |
| points along the 52-mile line from San | | | | separate accidents in April 2006, Weinberg |
| Francisco to San Jose as part of a bid the | | | | said. |
| agency is expected to award Thursday. | | | | |
| | | | Since the new fences will go up only on one |
| The fence project is part of a safety | | | | side of the tracks, they will likely do |
| campaign that Caltrain launched last year in | | | | little to stem suicides, which account for |
| response to a rash of pedestrian fatalities. | | | | the majority of Caltrain deaths. |
| It won't put a stop to suicides, but | | | | |
| officials believe it could prevent some | | | | "If somebody's determined to get up on the |
| accidents by closing off heavily used | | | | tracks, they're going to, and fencing on |
| shortcuts across the tracks. | | | | either side isn't going to stop them," |
| | | | Weinberg said. He pointed out that people |
| Eight people have died on the tracks this | | | | kill themselves on BART, even though that |
| year, with at least two of the deaths | | | | line is almost entirely inaccessible to |
| believed to be accidents -- including one in | | | | pedestrians. |
| which a train hit a car in Palo Alto in June, | | | | |
| said Caltrain spokesman Jonah Weinberg. | | | | Menlo Park City Councilwoman Kelly Fergusson, |
| That's down from 16 deaths and as many as | | | | who has been pushing for safety improvements |
| eight accidents last year. | | | | on Caltrain, said she welcomes new fencing in |
| | | | her city. Several stretches south of Encinal |
| Stretches of the commuter line's right-of-way | | | | Avenue are to be blocked off as part of the |
| are already fenced, whether by private | | | | project. |
| property owners or by Caltrain's predecessor, | | | | |
| Southern Pacific. Always strapped for cash, | | | | "Every fatality is too many," Fergusson said. |
| Caltrain will build new fences such as fence | | | | "Every safety improvement will reduce the |
| manufacturers,steel fence post,wire | | | | risk of tragedy." |
| fence,portable fence only in places that are | | | | |
| easily accessible to pedestrians and lack | | | | Some new fences have sparked complaints from |
| barriers on either side. | | | | neighbors who say they are unsightly and |
| | | | divide neighborhoods. But several residents |
| "We worked with the cities to find areas | | | | south of San Mateo's Hayward Park station |
| where additional fencing might be a real | | | | said they are pleased with the heavy-duty |
| deterrent" to crossing, Weinberg said. "For | | | | fencing Caltrain installed along the west |
| example, in an area where it would be faster | | | | side of the tracks there recently. |
| to cross the train tracks to get to a | | | | |
| 7-Eleven" rather than walking down the block | | | | "You'd see kids messing around right there by |
| to a legal crossing. | | | | the tracks, and there's nothing at all |
| | | | between them and these trains," said Cathy |
| Caltrain, a partnership between Santa Clara, | | | | Lewis, who lives near South B Street and 14th |
| San Mateo and San Francisco counties, already | | | | Avenue. |