Is This Road Sign Really Necessary in Hopewell Junction?

Have you ever driven past this sign and asked yourself, is this really necessary?

If you spend enough time driving around the Hudson Valley there has to be a time you can recall that you drove past something and after passing it you started scratching your head wondering why it's there. That's what happened to me the other day while I was driving from Wappingers Falls into Hopewell Junction and passed a sign that had me asking...

Is This Sign Necessary?

As you can see in the picture above the sign says "STATE LAW Do Not Stop on Tracks!" I'm not sure if that sign is new or not but I don't recall ever seeing it before and after I passed it I wondered why would a sign like that be needed near railroad tracks that are dormant. I'm positive that no trains are ever on those tracks anymore so why is it illegal to stop on the tracks?

Can You Get a Ticket for Stopping on Dormant Train Tracks?

I understand that the state law is a good law because it's extremely dangerous to stop on active train tracks but why is a sign needed here? I know that I'm probably splitting hairs here, but it's one of those things that when I saw it I wondered if I stopped on track like this could I get a ticket from the police?

SEE ALSO: Illegal Dirt Bikes & ATVs Almost Cause Accident in Poughkeepsie

I reached out to a few of our law enforcement friends and they told me that YES a driver could get a ticket for stopping on tracks like these. They did say that most departments that witnessed a driver stopped on the tracks wouldn't give the driver a ticket, instead, they would give them a warning if anything.

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Is a sign like this needed in this location? Have you seen any road signs in the Hudson Valley that you think are a waste? Let us know the sign and where it is by texting us through our station app.