It hits like a sledgehammer if you’re not driving a heavy-duty truck.

The rubber rail crossings at Niagara Falls Blvd. and Erie Avenue/Shawnee Road have worn away and exposed an increasingly dangerous amount of track, especially considering the 40-mph posted limit on the stretch.

So drivers are increasingly doing whatever it takes to avoid it, risking an accident until the worst case scenario finally occurs. (Crossing from North Tonawanda on NFB toward Wheatfield sees the greatest amount of rail exposed.)

“We have been reaching out to CSX — as this is their property — for a few months,” said 3rd Ward Alderman Eric [...]