From the Crane Creek promenade in Melbourne, the flashing yellow and white of the Brightline train appears as a blur, a totem of the future and of progress whipping onward as it carries passengers to their destinations in South Florida and Orlando.

But for some, the passenger rail hurtling northbound and southbound through Brevard County crossings at upwards of 90 mph is also a symbol of something more dangerous. Five local fatalities since Brightline’s debut between Orlando and Miami last September have prompted concerns about safety, and the three most recent deaths, in two crashes just two days apart at the same crossing, have put some in the community on edge.

Caleb Hortner fishes at the Crane Creek park often. It’s a place of respite where he brings his grandson to chance upon a snook or, if they’re lucky, a redfish. A longtime resident of the county, he sees Brightline as a way to push transportation forward. But like many, he has concerns about the safety of the passenger rail system. “I know it’s something that can be good, but right now I’m a little worried,” Hortner said from the water’s edge, less than a mile from where the latest deaths took place.

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Along with fishing in the area, he takes regular constitutionals along Strawbridge Avenue, often crossing the rails that have proven fatal since Brightline’s inception.

Brightline has made efforts to increase safety, including the installation of “quad gates” or raised medians at crossings in Brevard where trains pass at speeds of more than 79 mph, encompassing 40 of the 50 crossings Brightline trains pass within Brevard, according Katie Mitzner, director of public affairs at Brightline.

The quad gates ― also known as four-quadrant gates ― span all the lanes of traffic in each direction, rather than only the traffic lanes a vehicle would approach the tracks from. These measures act as safeguards against motorists trying to maneuver around the crossings when the gates are down and the train is approaching.

Those gates were not present at the intersections where recent crashes took place because Brightline was not going over 79 mph through those areas. And according to initial police reports, in the Jan. 10 and Jan. 12 crashes, drivers attempted to drive around the barrier gates blocking the crossing, attempts that proved fatal.

More: 4 fatal Brightline crashes happened in Melbourne, with 2 in 3 days. Here’s what we know

“The community is sort of shocked that this could happen. Obviously people going around the gates is unacceptable but people in the city still want something done,” Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey said.

Alfrey said he and other city leaders had a meeting scheduled with Brightline in order to discuss possible solutions going forward.

Whether that could look like improved gates, more driver awareness, slower trains, or other solutions, he couldn’t say. The topic will come up for discussion at the Melbourne City Council meeting Tuesday.

On Friday, members of the Brightline Safety and Security team handed out train crossing safety information on New Haven Avenue in downtown Melbourne. Police officers and Florida East Coast Railway Society members were part of the informational effort.

Countywide concerns

In the city of Cocoa, councilwoman Lorraine Koss said certain things may need to be done to ameliorate the crashes and ensure Brightline’s arrival is a positive for the community.

“Brightline is here to stay,” Koss said.

“I think it can be a good thing for all of this but there’s definitely adapting to be done. It’s a wakeup call. We have to shift into high gear with education and awareness. What we’ve already done isn’t reaching folks.”

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Koss said she and others on Cocoa City Council have been in talks with Brightline on what, if any, measures can be taken, whether it’s education and awareness, improved mechanisms at crossings or some other option.

“We need to do a concerted education effort. I spoke to Brightline earlier this week. I know they are looking into other measures to make it even more prohibitive to enter the tracks,” Koss said. Alfrey, like Koss, said he hopes Brightline listens to the concerns of people in Melbourne and Brevard County on what can be done.

Brevard County Commissioner Rob Feltner, whose Commission District 4 includes a section of Melbourne where Brightline trains go through, said he would like to see installation of more safety features at rail crossings, including having both the quad gates and raised medians at crossings, rather than only one or the other.

Feltner said he is seeking to have discussions between Brevard County and city of Melbourne officials about ways to improve the safety at crossings, and how to pay for them.

Additionally, Feltner said the county plans to have a representative of the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization make a presentation about the issue at an upcoming County Commission meeting.

Wary and watchful

Although the issue of drivers circumventing safety measures can’t necessarily be fixed overnight, some have concerns that the problem is the result of larger issues.

Melbourne resident Bonnie Ida said she recently witnessed a malfunctioning gate arm at Aurora Road, where two pedestrians, one on Oct. 19 and on Christmas Eve, were struck and killed by Brightline trains.

In Ida’s case, the arm began to go up and down even after a train had finished passing, and after a long wait behind the arm, drivers including her decided to turn around rather than take their chances.

“I have been in situations in the past when cars proceeded around a stuck crossing gate, and I thought how tempting it might be that day if the wait got long enough for people who needed to proceed,” Ida said.

Right now, Horton said, “it’s just something I’m being extra careful about.”

“I’ve always been wary of train tracks but now, especially when I’ve got my grandson with me, we take an extra second or two before crossing,” he said.

Jake McMurphy takes his car for servicing near where the Jan. 12 collision came to a stop. In that case, the train dragged an SUV around a quarter-mile before the train was able to complete braking.

He said it’s “terrifying” to think about, but he’s not worried for himself or his family. “I wouldn’t try to go around the gates. No way. I don’t know what people are thinking,” McMurphy said.

Still, he voiced concerns.

“I do think maybe they should do something,” he said.

“I’m not sure what they can do but there’s gotta be something.”

Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard and Brevard County Government Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: ‘Terrifying’: Brightline crashes in Brevard stoke residents’ fears