Results tagged “theamericans”

Yesterday, thousands of people said goodbye to the Bronx fire victims. A procession of eight hearses carrying one woman and nine children was escorted by the police to the Islamic Cultural Centre, and many in the crowd, including police officers, were crying. People had waited all morning to pay their respects, and loudspeakers were set up so people outside could hear.

The tragic death of Natalie Smead at the Woodside LIRR station made people wonder how the 18 year old could fall between the train car and platform in the first place. (Smead fell into the track, then rolled over to another train track where an incoming train hit her.) The answer becomes clearer in today's Daily News: The gap at the Woodside station was six to eight inches. Now, sure, the train conductors say to mind the gap, there are signs saying there's a gap, but six to eight inches seems egregiously big, especially when you're stepping down from a train car - you'd probably need to jump. Also, the Daily News points out:

There is no federal safety regulation that sets a maximum width for the gap between platform and train, a Federal Railroad Administration spokesman said. The Americans with Disabilities Act, though, sets a 3-inch gap limit at newly constructed or renovated stations.

No federal safety regulation for platform gaps - great. And if the ADA has a three inch gap rule for new stations, we'd venture to say that gaps of six inches or more is not kosher.

Warren Leight, Playwright and screenwriter