Addressing the deadly Washington D.C. train crash Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board said the operator of the train that “slammed into a stationary train in front of it apparently had activated the emergency brakes in a failed effort to stop before the accident.” as reported in the Washington Post. Hersman said the “emergency brake button, known as the ‘mushroom,’ was depressed, and the steel rails showed evidence that the brakes were engaged.”

Repair New York Bridges Before a Tragedy
In Western New York, the Federal Highway Administration has classified 195 bridges as structurally deficient. In the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, 214 bridges as structurally deficient. In the Southern Tier, 354 bridges classified as structurally deficient by the FHA.