Crime & Safety
'Crash Gate' On I-84 Approved By Feds: Schumer
There were renewed calls for an additional emergency vehicles-only access point after a deadly bus crash in September.
ORANGE COUNTY, NY — After years of being asked, the Federal Highway Administration will finally allow state and local officials to create an emergency vehicles-only access road — or “crash gate” — on Interstate 84.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday that a crash gate is now closer to becoming a reality, following the deadly bus crash on I-84 that killed two adults and injured dozens of Long Island band students in September.
He said the tragic bus crash was just one of many tragedies that have taken place on I-84 and plagued communities across New York with fear about the ability of first responders to quickly respond to dangerous and sometimes deadly accidents.
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“First responders in Orange County have long called for the installation of a life-saving crash gate,” Schumer said, “and finally, after I called on the FHWA to support our local officials and help keep New Yorkers safe by working with them to greenlight this long desired safety project, I am proud to announce the federal agency has heeded our calls and officially approved construction on an emergency crash gate for I-84.”
Currently, the Slate Hill Fire District’s trucks can only access the highway in a roundabout way, making response times longer.
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Schumer said that the crash in September other other recent accidents demonstrated the troubling lack of access to I-84 that exists for first responders in the area.
Slate Hill’s closest entrance to I-84 is four miles from the firehouse, requiring its trucks to travel into another neighboring fire district just to get onto the interstate.
By constructing a first responders-only access road between the eastbound and westbound highways, a crash gate will allow first responders to access I-84 faster and potentially save lives, Schumer said.
According to the chief of the Slate Hill Fire District, having a crash gate would have allowed first responders to get to the scene of the bus crash 5 to 10 minutes sooner.
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