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SUBJECTS › TRANSPORTATION › Railroad Crossings
Published 2/05
Railroad Crossings

Railroad Crossings

Contents

Introduction

Currently, more than 250,000 public and private at-grade highway-rail grade crossings exist in America. In recent years, 300-400 deaths, annually, have occurred at these crossings, thus warranting significant attention from transportation agencies. Resolution of the obvious safety issues is often complicated by ownership and jurisdictional issues.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is responsible for public grade crossing issues that affect highway safety. FHWA provides guidelines and standards for the correct design of grade crossings, the assessment of safety at a grade crossing, and appropriate placement of traffic control devices at and on the approach to a grade crossing. These traffic control devices include circular advance warning signs, crossbucks (the familiar x-shaped signs), pavement markings, and, in some locations, bells, gates, and flashing lights as described in the FHWA’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

States determine which public crossings are in need of improvements, and determine what those improvements will be. In order to make these improvements, States rely heavily on federally supplied funds authorized in Title 23 United States Code (23 U.S.C.) Section 130 (which are called “Section 130 funds”), and again in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). These programs allocate money to the States specifically for eliminating hazards at public highway-railroad grade crossings (Federal highway funds cannot be spent on safety improvements at private rail crossings). The FHWA also administers the distribution of Section 130 funds.

External Links

Interim Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

Summary

Ordinances, Articles & Contracts

Paper copies (only) of the following documents are available from the MRSC Library, 206-625-1300:

  • "Banning train whistles," by Jason J. Kuboushek. Minnesota Cities, September 1998, p. 43. (T 3.6100)
  • "City pleased with grade crossing replacements," Public Works, June 1996. (T 3.6100)
  • "Improving Grade Crossing Safety Near Highway Intersections; a technical working group was formed to review existing standards and guidelines on several grade crossing safety issues and to develop new standards if needed," by William F. Bremer and Louisa M. Ward. ITE Journal, September 1997, pp. 24-28, 70. (T 3.6100)
  • "Rails, cities on a collision course," by Daniel Machalaba. Daily Journal of Commerce, May 12, 1997, pp. 5, 9. (T 3.6100)
  • "There's help for you at the highway-rail crossing," by Sergeant Don Hatch. Police Chief, April 1996. p. 61+. (T 3.6100)
  • "Train horn use required at all crossings outside 'Quiet Zones' ," by Curtis Witynski. Nebraska Municipal Review, April 2000, pp. 16-20. (T 3.6100)
  • "Vehicle arresting barrier safety net to 'catch' motorists at railroad crossings," by Darrell McMurray. Illinois Municipal Review, October 1999, p. 15-16. (T 3.6100)
  • "Winlock fights plan to close railroad crossing; Mayor: We won't survive without it," by David Postman, Seattle Times. (T 3.6100)

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