From theoutlookonline.com, "Gresham man killed at City Hall MAX station"

A man crossing the MAX tracks who was struck and killed by a train at the Gresham City Hall station Monday morning has been identified as a Gresham resident.

Jose Lopez Rodriguez, 55, was on the north side of the platform, which is located just south of Gresham City Hall and east of Northwest Eastman Parkway, when he was hit at about 8 a.m.

The man was on the platform’s east end closest to Northwest Eastman Parkway when he ran southbound across the MAX tracks to catch an eastbound train, said Mary Fetsch, TriMet spokeswoman.

A westbound train coming into the station at the same time hit the man. He died at the scene. It is the second time a pedestrian has been hit and killed at the station. In June 2003, 16-year-old Gresham boy, Aaron Wagner, was hit and killed by a train at the City Hall stop while crossing the tracks on his bike.

His mother, Darla Sturdy, lobbied the state Legislature for changes at MAX crossings. The Legislature passed a law requiring TriMet to commission an independent study, complete with findings and recommendations, regarding the safety of pedestrian crossings on the light-rail line. Many of the more dangerous stations were located on the eastside, as they are the oldest in the light-rail system.

Based on the study’s findings, TriMet plans to make crossing improvements at approximately 60 locations, Fetch said. Improvements vary from channeling pedestrians to creating Z-style crossings that orient pedestrians so they see trains coming from both directions.

The study found that the City Hall station could benefit from a Z-style crossing, which TriMet plans to create, Fetch said. The transit agency has already installed additional warning signs, lights, audible warnings and fencing/railings at the station, she added.