Anyone scurrying across the railroad tracks to beat an oncoming train in Tinley Park could find themselves with a $500 fine or 50 hours of community service.

The village board approved an ordinance this week that allows police to issue local citations to pedestrians who are seen crossing the tracks while the train signals are active, or seen crossing at an undesignated spot on the tracks.

Doing so was already in violation of state and federal laws, but trustees agreed to change village ordinance so the impatient pedestrians could be dealt with at the local level.

Brian Maher, trustee and chair of the Public Safety Committee, said while working with Metra to develop plans for a new train station at the 80th Avenue stop, Metra raised the question of increased safety enforcement from the village.

“Some communities along the Metra line have passed ordinances like we did providing the local police with an opportunity to issue citations for local violations as opposed to state or federal violations, which become more difficult in terms of prosecution,” he said. “It just makes it easier for us to deal with it.”

The local citations will carry a fine no less than $500 or 50 hours of community service, or a combination of the two, and the citations can be dealt with through a local administrative court where red light camera tickets and other minor violations are also heard.

Maher said the village hopes the enforcement of the local citation will encourage people to slow down and think twice before they unsafely cross the train tracks.

“We particularly have a problem at 80th Avenue with people running around the front of the train when they get off to get to their cars,” he said. “It just seems people are always trying to skirt the safer way to do things because they’re in such a hurry. It’s just the nature of the world we live in today.”