Dear Sir or Madam:

The following complaint was forwarded to the mayor for the following reasons:

Re: Railroad warning signsMonday, November 9, 2009 2:46 PMFrom: "Carmenza Moreno" <[email protected]>View contact detailsTo: [email protected]

Good Morning, thank you to you. Sincerly, this is the time I have still feeling panic, every time when I see a raildroad I am scare to pass it, same my friend, the situation there is that something is wrong with the settings with the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS the gates, also the train driver must hunk constantely, some people that have hearing problems needs something louder, I am OK, I am concern people that have some deaftness problems, even those that we do not, in addition, the train warning sign more frequently, sample where I live we have double raildroads, I live West, we can heard so loud the train about 15 miles, then when is approaching to our neighborghood, then the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS, and the gates close inmediately and still there until the train appears and pass by.

The DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS on that place that are exactly on the left side of the store, is the one who is causing such situation I do not know if the other on the right side of the store will be good to check both DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS to make sure that everything is going to be ok from now and up, something wierd is that everybody can heard somekind loud it not much wihich should be by the train driver, we the drivers can observe how the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS are warning the drivers and the gates close inmediately, the situation is that after that nobody hear anymore the train, then the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS switched to green, and the gates open up it takes like 1 or 2 minutes when the gates close and open it suddenly, giving to drivers the secure to cross that the train is not coming because the train does not hunk anymore, and having the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS turned green, the gates opening up, then drivers continuing trying to finalize a right turn, suddenly when drivers are in the middle of the railroad, the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS starting flashing, the gates closing almost on top of any vehicle [this time was mine], and we realize the train is almost on top of us, is so scary, and believe me I do not want to go back to your town anymore, I so afraid to drive at that store anymore your town is gorgeous but having such situation is to scary to go to the store again.

My question is why the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS shows to drivers wrong warnings, while in fact the train continues approaching that interseccion, why while the train driver stop hunking the train signals to warn the drivers that still approaching it?, only when are on top of the drivers cars we hear it, why those DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS does not stills close having the train approaching it, there are many questions I know you understand what I want to say. I appreciate very much, for taking care of this situation in order to prevent a horrible accident against any driver or even a pedestrian, caused by that tricky DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS, and also by the person who drives any train around there and anywhere. Today I called my doctor because I have in my mind that scene, and I still very nervous, I live every second that moment, and I cannot explain what I feel is horrible.

I appreciate it very much.

Carmenza Moreno

--- On Mon, 11/9/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:


From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Railroad warning signs
To: "Carmenza Moreno" <[email protected]>
Cc: "Robert Hoffmann" <[email protected]>
Date: Monday, November 9, 2009, 1:57 PM


Dear Ms. Moreno,

Thank you for the note. I am aaking our administrator to contact NJ Transit, and the NJ Department of Transportation to look into this problem. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Borough of Westwood
John Birkner, Jr. - Mayor
(201) 664-7100 (201) 664-7100 x 106

Quoting Carmenza Moreno <[email protected]>:

>
> Dear Sir,
>
> Tonight I decided to drive to Westwood, to a store TJMax, when I was approaching the exit to make a right, I was the third car trying to make a right to access to the parking lot at TJMax stores. The two first drivers as well as my self, we saw the flashing lights warning the drivers that the train we stopped, we heard the train that was coming, the train hunked not much, and the sound was, not enough to alert drivers how far was, the DRAWBRIDGE SIGNALS were flashing the gates went are down, the traffic light turned red we heard the train kind of far, then we did not hear it any more, suddenly about 1 or two minutes then the DRAWBRIDGE SIGNALS turned green then the gates went up, then we the first three cars started making right to cross the raildroad, having the green light and the gates up, showed to us that was safe to cross, when we were in the process of crossing the railroad in less than 1 or two minutes, maybe seconds, we saw
> that the lights flashing then we saw the gates going down again, my car was exactly on the middle of the raildroad, I felt trapped, I invoke God and said please help me and I speed to void to get kill with my friend, the first car passe was ok, then the second almost was hit by the gate as well as my truck in the middle of both gates, I had no choice praid to God and speed to finished crossing. Sir there are a problem with that light as well as with the gates, because while the train still approaching, the lights change giving the drivers the right to go, while the train continues approaching, more than the train does not hunk enough and louder to warning drivers that still coming, the crazy DRAWBRIDGE SIGNALS, showing the drivers that is safe to cross then inmediately change on top of the cars having the gates almost hitting the cars. When we were very nervous then I told a lady who works there is a manager, she told me that there
> are problems with that train traffic signs because every time wh what happened to us seconds ago, she told me that same thing happened to her husband last week when he was going back home with their son, and same tricky signals caused that he was trapped in the middle of the rail road almost got kill, as happened to my friend and I tonight around 7 p.m..
>
> Then her mother had same situation at the beginning of this week, with that tricky DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS, she saw same thing like us, and then she was trying to pass the rail road because the signals turned green, inmediately the DRAWBRIDGES signals change in less than seconds and the gates were going down again and she was trapped in the middle of that raild road, she saw as we, that the traffic lights were flashing and turned green showing drivers a green light, drivers follow it the signal to go, then inmediately the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS change in less than a minute or seconds, the gates were down again and always drivers are trapped in the middle of the railroad.
>
> Then other employee from same store told us same thing that three days ago, same situation she lived she saw the train very closed she tought she was going to get kill. She described same situation and told us that they have suffering with this situation since a while ago. Tonigh I am writting to you in order to report you and alert it too. Please you must do something before a tragedy occurs there.
>
> Going overthere, and having that dangerous signals and the train with not enough warning either, is dangerous for someone to get trap on that raild road and get kill. Sir those lights and the DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS must be repair, there are people complaining regarding same issue, is the first time in my life that I decided to drive to that store, but the experience I lived tonigh with my friend cause that we are feeling panic after we were almost kill caused by those tricky traffic signals and the crazy DRAWBRIDGES SIGNALS, I am asking please to take an inmediately action before something bad occurred to someone else on that train traffic signals, the train doe not make enough warning either to drivers only when is almost on top of them.
>
>
> Carmenza
>
>

Today I feel my legs shaking and too nervous, I woke up many times at night since the day of this incident, and still happening, I called my doctor, because inside of me is a panic that cannot controle, thinking that almost I die leaving my son without protection caused me such feelings inside me, is horrible never in my 25 years living in this country have lived such situation. Somebody has to do something, not only with that train traffic lights, with everyone in others towns. The mayor answered to me, but I need that in fact those train traffic lights and the gates be fixed, and the train's driver give more continuous warning to drivers, and pedestrians.

Thank you,

Ms. Moreno.