RAMSEY -- Cops have been posted at a rail crossing where a man died last year in order to deter people who routinely walk across tracks when gates are down.
New Jersey Transit Police have been posted at the Main Street station after they received reports of people ignoring the gates and going under them, Jim Smith, a spokesman for NJ Transit, confirmed to NJ Advance Media.
Despite a large sign that warns people "not to cross tracks when gates are down," photos sent anonymously to borough officials and NJ Transit show people doing just that. In one photo, two men can be seen crossing just inches from a stopped train.
The station was deemed as the second-most dangerous rail crossing in the state in 2015 by the Federal Railroad Administration. Three pedestrians have been killed at the crossing since 2006, according to the FRA.
Tommy Ryan, a Ramsey resident, died on June 9 after he ducked under a gate to catch a train but didn't see another train coming in the other direction. Since then, Jamie Ryan, the man's uncle, has been lobbying NJ Transit to improve safety at the station. Ryan wants trains to go slower through the borough or a pedestrian bridge over the tracks built, he told NJ Advance Media in October.
"I think it's become normal to them," Ryan said of residents crossing tracks. "And they don't realize that outside, this is not normal."
In November, the state Department of Transportation listed 40 recommendations for safety upgrades at the crossing in a letter to the borough. One of the ideas included installing a "gate skirt," to prevent people from running under gates while down.
NJ Transit has been keeping an officer at the scene during the morning and evening rush for the past few weeks to reinforce that people not cross the tracks while gates are down.
"People are not practicing proper train safety," said Mayor Deirdre Dillon, who received the photos. Dillion said borough police don't have jurisdiction over the crossing.
It is illegal to enter the track area when crossing gates are down. Pedestrians caught crossing the gates can face a fine of up to $54. Smith said only two people were issued summonses last month and that the effort is more about educating people.
"The New Jersey Transit Police Department effort in Ramsey is not about fines and penalties, it is about reminding and educating the public of the serious dangers of ignoring a downed crossing gate," Smith said. "Failure to abide by the safety devices at a crossing can be fatal."
NJ Transit said they have placed police at other crossings where the problem has also arisen.
"The New Jersey Transit Police Department routinely deploys personnel to similar type crossings throughout the system to proactively remind pedestrians and drivers of railroad crossing safety," said Smith.
Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.