It’s extremely difficult for me to fathom what would compel anyone – nevermind motorcyclists – to try to overcome a railroad crossing arm when it’s lowering or already in the level position. To then go through the crossing is to ignore the impending danger of an incoming train.

For reference, the level crossing in question is at mid-block of a six lane divided roadway with generous bike lanes, with a wide, raised median in the center. The crossing is guarded by two arms lowering into the roadway on each direction prior to the tracks, for a total of four arms. Visibility down the tracks is not obscured by any adjacent buildings, except maybe the pillars for the BART metro overcrossing, running parallel to the surface Union Pacific (Niles Subdivision) railroad. The train in question appears to be one of the 22 daily Capitol Corridor trains between the Bay Area and Sacramento.