THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC affected just about every aspect of railroading last year, including efforts to improve grade crossing safety. So railroads and other rail industry constituents needed to adapt. Since COVID-19 made the usual in-person delivery of crossing safety education messages and programs unfeasible, other means were necessary. For Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) - a nonprofit organization that partners with railroads and a volunteer network to prevent crossing accidents and trespassing through public education and awareness campaigns - such a pivot proved difficult. "We're a people organization; our message is about changing human behavior. So we're used to getting out into communities," says OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh. OLI opted to put more emphasis on its public service announcements and social media presence, and reframe some of its education presentations into virtual resources.
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