Statement from New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee

ALBANY, NY (09/15/2010)(readMedia)-- Like so many, I am saddened by the tragic loss of life that occurred on Saturday morning when a Megabus crashed into a CSX railroad bridge over the Onondaga Lake Parkway in Liverpool. I offer my sincere sympathy to the families of the four who died in the crash and to the survivors, many of whom were hurt.

I also thank local emergency workers and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) staff who responded to the scene, assisting the injured, managing traffic and beginning the extensive analysis that is being done to determine exactly what happened and how tragedies like this can be prevented in the future.

NYSDOT has been actively involved with the response to this crash since it occurred. We had staff on the scene assisting in traffic control, documenting the incident and providing support to the field investigation being conducted by the Onondaga County sheriff. Our staff also inspected highway approaches to the crash site, confirming that the many signs and devices warning about the height of the CSX bridge were in place and operational.

On Monday, our chief engineer inspected the site and its surroundings with an eye toward determining what actions might be appropriate in the future. We expect some of the preliminary work that has been done on an ongoing study of the Onondaga Lake Parkway to contribute to that analysis. In addition, we will look to build upon the success we have made in reducing parkway bridge hits in the Hudson Valley by evaluating whether some of the techniques being employed there could help prevent future crashes at the CSX bridge in Liverpool.

We need to fully understand the incident – including its cause and contributing factors – before we take further steps. As stewards of the state's transportation system, our approach must be thorough, well-informed and reasoned. We need to find the right answers, not necessarily the fastest ones.

This afternoon, I met with County Executive Joanne Mahoney. We agreed to work together to find solutions to prevent bridge crashes and to improve traffic safety on the Parkway. In the coming weeks, NYSDOT staff will continue to meet with local representatives about this incident. As we await the findings of the Sheriff's accident investigations, we will work diligently to identify a response that will help prevent bridge crashes in the future.

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