The crash between an SUV and a Metro-North train that killed six people in Valhalla, New York has raised worries about dangerous rail crossings. Now, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Richard (D-CT) Blumenthal are advocating for a new bill to fund improvements to make the crossings safer.

Last week, the NY Times looked at troubled rail crossings in the region, finding that while the methodology wasn't perfect, "[T]he 10 crossings, four in New Jersey and six on Long Island, examined by The Times are easily among the most hazardous in the country. Out of almost 130,000 public crossings in the nation, only 112 others have accident-prediction values as high as these 10. The Midland Avenue crossing currently has the eighth highest likelihood of a crash in the country."

Several factors make the mix of trains and humans in the region more dangerous than elsewhere. Commuter trains travel through densely populated areas at speeds as high as 80 miles per hour. The freight trains that dominate the tracks in other parts of the country travel much slower through towns, often just 10 m.p.h. The commuter rail lines in the region bear more trains each day than many freight train crossings elsewhere see in a month.

But some of the crossings The Times examined have problems that safety experts say can increase the chances of a collision, like roads and tracks meeting at harsh angles and traffic signals in proximity that, in heavy traffic, can contribute to drivers’ getting stuck on the tracks.

In the case of the Valhalla crash, SUV driver Ellen Brody was reportedly unfamiliar with the rail crossing, which is at a curved road. Another driver said she appeared to have stopped in the rail crossing for at least 30 seconds. Apparently one of the crossing gates hit her car, and the other driver thought she would have backed out.

The train, which had departed from Grand Central during the evening rush, was going 58 mph when the engineer saw Brody's vehicle. Even though he threw all the brakes, it wasn't enough. About 400 feet of the electrified third rail pierced the first car, and the first car was aflame. Brody and five passengers in that train car were killed.

The New Haven Register reports:

[Blumenthal] said currently the Federal Highway Administration’s railroad crossing program receives $220 million a year so states can eliminate hazards at the estimated 130,000 grade crossings across the country. The senators propose adding $50 million to this each year for four years.

The proposed act would also revive the FRA’s Rail Line Relocation & Improvement Capital Grant program which until six years ago helped states relocate a rail line for safety concerns and other reasons. They are proposing that this be reauthorized and $25 million a year approved for four years, but only used for safety reasons.

A major factor in these collisions appears to be human behavior, with drivers trying to beat the train across the tracks, according to the New York Times, although design features contribute to the problen.

Blumenthal said he wants to revive the FRA’s rail crossing grants safety program which was established in 2008 but never implemented.

Schumer said, "Many of New York's hundreds of rail-grade crossings are truly accidents waiting to happen, and it's critical that the federal government do more to make engineering upgrades at accident-prone crossings."

The NTSB is investigating the crash and will issue a preliminary report next week.