Long overdue pedestrian gates at deadly Old Town rail crossing will ‘save lives,’ attorney says

It shouldn’t have taken as long as it did. That’s for certain.

But now that the most important work at the rail crossing in Old Town is complete, the people who helped make it happen deserve credit — and the feeling of relief that goes along with it.

“There’s very little doubt that I think it’s going to save lives, and that’s the main thing,” said Phil deMaine, who led the charge for pedestrian safety improvements at the crossing near his Tacoma law office where his coworker, 28-year-old Alexandria Lewis, lost her life in November 2016.

Lewis’ tragic death was the second fatality at the McCarver Street crossing in a year. In November 2015, a train struck and killed 31-year-old Cale Tyler at the same location.

Lewis and Tyler were killed by Amtrak trains while freight trains on another set of tracks obstructed their view. At the two-track crossing that connects Old Town and Ruston Way, neither saw it coming.

The tragedies, and their proximity, helped spark an understandable — and unfortunately necessary — outcry from the community.

(The families of both victims have sued the city, seeking unspecified damages and alleging that neglect led to the deaths. Both cases are pending trial.)

Now, as the two-year anniversary of Lewis’ death approaches, there’s finally some good news to report.

In late August, pedestrian safety arms — designed to prevent people on foot from crossing the two tracks when a train is approaching — were installed. Together with fencing and improved signage, the upgrades will go a long way toward preventing another life from being taken too soon.

The upgrades are part of several safety improvements planned for the crossing, according to Kurtis Kingsolver, Tacoma’s director of public works. Some of the work has been completed. Others, like additional fencing and potentially a “Second Train Coming” sign, might be added.

In total, the city has spent about $280,000 on planning, design and construction at the crossing, Kingsolver said, with $200,000 more potentially on the way. A $50,000 grant from the state Utilities and Transportation Commission has helped.

For those personally affected by the lack of safety features at the crossing, it’s a very small price to pay.

“It was actually emotional for all of us to see it,” deMain said this week of the crossing arms going up.

“It really does help give us some closure on this,” he added. “It’s a really great way to honor the memories of both Cale and Alexandria.”

The safety improvements, while welcomed, do not erase the tragic history at the crossing.

Lewis was a military veteran who left behind a husband who served in the U.S. military and two small boys.

Tyler, an ultrasound technician, was a beloved member of the Tacoma Runners group and someone who fellow runner Courtney Moore said “lit up every room he walked into.”

Tyler’s wife, Jennifer, told The News Tribune last year that she moved away from the area to be closer to family.

Meanwhile, nearly three years after Tyler’s death, the pain is still fresh for his sister-in-law, Kirstin Tyler.

Asked about her reaction to the crossing arms finally being completed, she choked up.

“We’re still missing him, wishing that this terrible accident never would have happened,” she said by phone from her home in Las Vegas.

“It was as sense of relief,” she said, “just because I spent a lot of time on this piece of advocacy for a city I don’t even live in, and frankly don’t know if I’m going to visit often.”

According deMaine, the time it has taken for such obvious safety improvements to be made came as a surprise. At one point, City Councilman Robert Thoms estimated much of the work might be completed within months.

That did not happen.

DeMaine said the experience has taught him a lot, especially about the challenges of trying to address something that involves a local municipality and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

Still, he and Tyler give the city credit for acting,and for sticking to it.

“It’s been a long process,” deMaine said, “… but I’m just grateful that it happened, and that no one died in the interim.

“That would have been the worst.”

This story was originally published September 17, 2018 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Long overdue pedestrian gates at deadly Old Town rail crossing will ‘save lives,’ attorney says."