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Lowey is calling on the federal government to bolster education and enforcement campaigns, which have proved to be successful. Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit that receives a small level of federal assistance for offering free rail safety education programs.
Lowey wants to ensure that all drivers know what to do if they find themselves in the situation that Ellen Brody did when the gate came down behind her car.
Lowey has already been in contact with the U.S. Department of Transportation following the Valhalla accident about immediately boosting public education campaigns so people know what to do in these situations.
On Wednesday, Lowey spoke with Robert Sumwalt, National Transportation Safety Board chairman, about exploring investments in new technologies to detect objects on tracks that might have been able to prevent an accident like this.
Lowey will be looking for areas to increase funding for measures that help prevent grade-crossing accidents.
Lowey led a moment of silence on Wednesday with her New York colleagues on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor those who lost their lives in this accident, offer condolences to the families of the victims, pray for the full recovery of those injured and thanked first responders for quickly arriving at the scene to help others.
Following the accident Lowey said: “My thoughts are with the victims of this horrible accident, I offer my deep condolences to their families, and I pray for the recovery of those who were injured tonight. I thank our first responders and have been in contact with the Federal Railroad Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, which quickly deployed to the scene.”
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