Academic literature on the topic 'At-grade crossings'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the lists of relevant articles, books, theses, conference reports, and other scholarly sources on the topic 'At-grade crossings.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Journal articles on the topic "At-grade crossings"
1
Yeh, Michelle, and Jordan Multer. "Applying a Sociotechnical Framework for Improving Safety at Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings." Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 51, no. 24 (2007): 1550–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/154193120705102408.
Full textAbstract:
To understand drivers' decisions and actions at grade crossings, we examined human factors contributing to noncompliance at grade crossings using a sociotechnical framework. This perspective allows driver behavior at grade crossings to be examined not as individual elements but rather as a function of how each element interacts with other elements within the system. In this paper, we present a model that addresses driver decision-making at grade crossings at a systems level. We identify and describe four elements of the grade crossing system influencing driver compliance: the design of the grade crossing environment, driver characteristics, the role of organizations and management, and social and political forces. We then apply the model to identify how failure to consider safety from a systems perspective contributed to the grade crossing accident that occurred in Fox River Grove, Illinois, in 1995.
2
Estes, R. Matthew, and Laurence R. Rilett. "Advanced Prediction of Train Arrival and Crossing Times at Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1708, no. 1 (2000): 68–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1708-08.
Full textAbstract:
There are many issues related to highway–railroad grade crossings. For historic and practical reasons, trains have the right-of-way at grade crossings, which results in delays to motorists. In addition, the differential in size, speed, and stopping ability between motor vehicles and trains raises many serious safety concerns. Historically, the methods used to address these delay and safety problems at grade crossings have been reactive in nature. For example, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices specifies a minimum of 20 s of warning time for active warning devices at grade crossings. Intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology offers potential solutions for increasing the warning time at grade crossings. Advanced on-board devices and off-track detection equipment can allow train position and speed to be monitored. This information can be shared through wireless and wireline telecommunications equipment being deployed for ITS. Transportation management center personnel can then predict the arrival and crossing times of trains at grade crossings. It is hypothesized that if the warning time could reliably be increased, the traffic-operation strategies in the vicinity of grade crossings could be more proactive, reducing delay to motorists and increasing safety for both trains and automobiles. The research focuses on a second-generation technology approach to an advanced prediction of train arrival and crossing (gate-up and gate-down) times at highway–railroad grade crossings, including problems faced at grade crossings, background on detection and prediction technology for grade crossings, the train monitoring system used as the test bed for the research, the development of the methodology, the results of the analysis, and the conclusions of the research and potential applications for the model.
3
Hakkert, A. S., and V. Gitelman. "Development of Evaluation Tools for Road-Rail Crossing Consideration for Grade Separation." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1605, no. 1 (1997): 96–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1605-12.
Full textAbstract:
A program for expansion of Israeli railways has resulted in increased train speeds and frequencies on the most heavily used railway lines. These are situated in highly populated regions and are characterized by a significant amount of at-grade road-rail crossings. At-grade crossings present a barrier to road traffic and the danger of train-vehicle collisions. Because the current maximum train speed is about 120 km/hr, there was no clear policy concerning the need and the priority for grade separation at crossings. Simplified tools for rapid crossing evaluation when a crossing potential for grade separation is reviewed were developed. The evaluation tools include a criterion for preliminary crossing qualification and a formula for approximate evaluation of economic losses caused by at-grade crossing functioning. The field measurements and detailed investigation of the 31 most problematic locations provided a basis for building the tools. Two main factors leading to grade separation were considered: safety problems at the crossings and road vehicle delay costs. As demonstrated, the cost of accident risk at Israeli crossings does not significantly affect their ranking for grade separation. In consequence, the crossing parameters influence vehicle delays that constitute the basis for the simplified tools for preliminary crossing evaluation in Israel.
4
Pasha, Junayed, Maxim A. Dulebenets, Olumide F. Abioye, et al. "A Comprehensive Assessment of the Existing Accident and Hazard Prediction Models for the Highway-Rail Grade Crossings in the State of Florida." Sustainability 12, no. 10 (2020): 4291. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12104291.
Full textAbstract:
Accidents at highway-rail grade crossings can cause fatalities and injuries, as well as significant property damages. In order to prevent accidents, certain upgrades need to be made at highway-rail grade crossings. However, due to limited monetary resources, only the most hazardous highway-rail grade crossings should receive a priority for upgrading. Hence, accident/hazard prediction models are required to identify the most hazardous highway-rail grade crossings for safety improvement projects. This study selects and evaluates the accident and hazard prediction models found in the highway-rail grade crossing safety literature to rank the highway-rail grade crossings in the State of Florida. Three approaches are undertaken to evaluate the candidate accident and hazard prediction models, including the chi-square statistic, grouping of crossings based on the actual accident data, and Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The analysis was conducted for the 589 highway-rail grade crossings located in the State of Florida using the data available through the highway-rail grade crossing inventory database maintained by the Federal Railroad Administration. As a result of the performed analysis, a new hazard prediction model, named as the Florida Priority Index Formula, is recommended to rank/prioritize the highway-rail grade crossings in the State of Florida. The Florida Priority Index Formula provides a more accurate ranking of highway-rail grade crossings as compared to the alternative methods. The Florida Priority Index Formula assesses the potential hazard of a given highway-rail grade crossing based on the average daily traffic volume, average daily train volume, train speed, existing traffic control devices, accident history, and crossing upgrade records.
5
Saccomanno, Frank F., and Xiaoming Lai. "A Model for Evaluating Countermeasures at Highway–Railway Grade Crossings." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1918, no. 1 (2005): 18–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0361198105191800103.
Full textAbstract:
Current collision prediction models fail to account for the full spectrum of relevant factors affecting the number of collisions at specific highway– railway grade crossings. A number of reasons contribute to this failure, including biases in model parameters resulting from collinearity in the model inputs, absence of important variables in the prediction model caused by lack of statistical significance, the inability of models to consider higher-order interactions, and the presence of unexplained variation in the prediction estimates. These problems have compromised the use of collision prediction models in decisions concerning the development and evaluation of cost-effective safety treatments or countermeasures for application at specific crossings. This paper introduces a stratified collision prediction model for highway–railway grade crossings. The development of this model involves three steps: ( a) crossing inventory variables are expressed in terms of a limited number of orthogonal (nonlinear) underlying attributes or factors; ( b) factor scores are estimated for each crossing and factor, and these scores are used as “seed points” in a subsequent clustering exercise to yield groups or clusters of crossings with similar underlying attributes; and ( c) for each cluster, separate collision prediction models are developed and include important treatment input variables of interest to decision makers and planners. The paper describes an application of a stratified collision prediction model to Canadian highway–railway grade crossing inventory and collision occurrence data for the period 1993 to 2001. The usefulness of the model in estimating collision reduction benefits of selected treatments is illustrated with reference to two countermeasure strategies: upgrades in the type of warning device and the removal of whistle prohibition.
6
Fischhaber, Pamela M., and Bruce N. Janson. "Preliminary Analysis of Light Rail Crashes in Denver, Colorado." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2275, no. 1 (2012): 12–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/2275-02.
Full textAbstract:
This paper presents a preliminary analysis of light rail crashes at at-grade crossings in Denver, Colorado, based on Regional Transportation District data for 1999 through 2009. Differences in design and operation of at-grade crossings are discussed for light rail versus common carrier railroad (railroad). The differences appear to warrant the development of separate crash prediction and hazard index models because models developed for railroad at-grade crossing operations may not accurately predict the number and severity of crashes at light rail at-grade crossings. In addition, the models developed for railroads do not predict crashes at crossings for some traffic control device types such as traffic signals. The lack of information for crossings controlled by traffic signals in the railroad crash prediction equations is one reason why equations specific to light rail may need to be developed. This study identifies patterns in light rail crossing crash data that warrant further investigation and support the development of crash prediction models and hazard index equations specific to light rail at-grade crossing configurations and operations.
7
Noyce, David A., and Daniel B. Fambro. "Enhanced Traffic Control Devices at Passive Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1648, no. 1 (1998): 19–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1648-03.
Full textAbstract:
More than 2,000 crashes and 239 fatalities were reported at public passive highway-railroad grade crossings in 1994. Driver error, often due to a breakdown in communication between traffic control devices and the driver, is commonly cited as a factor in passive grade crossing crashes. The objective of this study was to evaluate an improved method for communicating with drivers in an effort to improve safety at passive grade crossings. Specifically, this study evaluated the effectiveness of a vehicle-activated strobe light and supplemental sign as enhancements to the railroad advance (W10-1) warning sign at a passive highway-railroad grade crossing near Temple, Texas. Three study methods were used to evaluate this enhanced sign system including a before and after speed study, a driver survey, and a driver observation study. The results indicated that average speeds on the approaches to the grade crossing were lower after the installation of the enhanced sign system. Drivers responded favorably to the enhanced sign system, and no adverse driver reactions were observed at the onset of the flashing strobe light. The strobe light was effective in directing drivers’ attention to the railroad advance warning and supplemental signs. The enhanced sign system appears to increase driver awareness of the passive grade crossing, cause some drivers to approach the grade crossing with additional caution, and reduce the average speed near the nonrecovery zone on both approaches.
8
Park, Young-Jin, and Frank F. Saccomanno. "Evaluating Factors Affecting Safety at Highway–Railway Grade Crossings." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1918, no. 1 (2005): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0361198105191800101.
Full textAbstract:
Various countermeasures can be introduced to reduce collisions at highway–railway grade crossings. Existing improvements to crossings include the installation of flashing lights or gates, the addition of extra warning devices such as four-quadrant barriers or wayside horns, and the enforcement of speed limits on the approaching highway. Statistical models are needed to ensure that countermeasures introduced at a given crossing are both cost-effective and practicable. However, in large part because of issues of colinearity, poor statistical significance, and parametric bias, many existing statistical models are simple in structure and feature few statistically significant explanatory variables. Accordingly, they fail to reflect the full gamut of factor inputs that explain variation in collision frequency at individual crossings over a given period of time. Before statistical models can be used to investigate the cost-effectiveness of specific countermeasures, models must be developed that more fully reflect the complex relationships that link a specific countermeasure to collision occurrence. This study presents a sequential modeling approach based on data mining and statistical methods to estimate the main and interactive effects of introducing countermeasures at individual grade crossings. This paper makes use of Canadian inventory and collision data to illustrate the potential merits of the model in decision support.
9
Park, Young-Jin, and Frank F. Saccomanno. "A structured model for evaluating countermeasures at highwayrailway grade crossings." Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering 32, no. 4 (2005): 627–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/l05-017.
Full textAbstract:
Various countermeasures can be introduced to reduce collisions at highwayrailway grade crossings. These countermeasures may take different forms, such as passive and (or) active driver warning devices, supplementary traffic controls (four quadrant barriers, wayside horn, closed circuit television (CCTV) monitoring, etc.), illumination, signage and highway speed limit, etc. In this research, we present a structured model that makes use of data mining techniques to estimate the effect of changes in countermeasures on the expected number of collisions at a given crossing. This model serves as a decision-support tool for the evaluation and development of cost-effective and practicable safety program at highwayrailway grade crossings. The use of data mining techniques helps to resolve many of the problems associated with conventional statistical models used to predict the expected number of collisions for a given type of crossing. Statistical models introduce biases that limit their ability to fully represent the relationship between selected countermeasures and resultant collisions for a mix of crossing attributes. This paper makes use of Canadian inventory and collision data to illustrate the potential merits of the proposed model to provide decision support.Key words: highwayrailway grade crossing, collision prediction model, countermeasures, Poisson regression.
10
Cho, Hanseon, and Laurence R. Rilett. "Forecasting Train Travel Times at At-Grade Crossings." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1844, no. 1 (2003): 94–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1844-12.
Full textAbstract:
The ability to accurately forecast train arrival times is essential for the safe and efficient operation of highway–railroad grade crossings (HRGCs). Trains in the United States are required to give a minimum of 20 s of warning time before arriving at an HRGC. With the recent development of new detection-equipment technology, detectors potentially could be employed further upstream of the HRGC, which would result in earlier detection times. This information would be particularly useful for preemption strategies at signalized intersections located near the HRGC (IHRGCs). For example, earlier warning times could be used to reduce or eliminate the risk of unsafe pedestrian movements at IHRGCs. In this study, a modular artificial neural network (ANN) was used to forecast the train arrival time at an HRGC. An ANN was adopted because there is a nonlinear relationship between the independent variables such as train speed profile and the dependent variable arrival time at an HRGC. A modular approach was used because the trains often have different characteristics depending on their cargo and the operational rules in effect at the time they are detected. Because the train detection is continuous, different models were developed for each separate data input. In this case, the prediction interval update was assumed to be 10 s and 24 models were developed. Approximately 499 trains were used for training the ANN and 183 trains were used for testing. It was found that a modular architecture gave superior results to that of a simple ANN model, standard regression techniques, and current forecasting methods for the entire detection time period. It was found that, with an increase in detection time, the forecast accuracy increases for all methods and the prediction interval tends to decrease.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "At-grade crossings"
1
Simpson, Sarah Anne. "Presignals At Grade Crossings." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194758.
Full textAbstract:
Highway/railroad grade crossings present a danger to vehicular traffic. According to the USDOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2009, there were 1,887 crashes at highway/rail crossings resulting in 248 fatalities (FRA, 2009). The installation of presignals at grade crossings decreases crashes and fatalities at highway/rail crossings. There are no Federal standards that provide guidance for the installation of presignals. Therefore, current practices do not conform to any set of consistent nationwide standards except for guidelines specified in the MUTCD. These guidelines state that a presignal should be considered where the at-grade highway/rail crossing is located within 50 feet of a signalized intersection. The MUTCD also gives the option of installing a presignal at a distance greater than 50 feet, if an engineering study determines a need; however, no specific guidelines are provided for such studies.This work uses a case study to determine which measures are needed to warrant a presignal and examines if the distance criterion of 50 feet between signalized intersections and highway/rail crossings is adequate. It also explores the need for consistent national standards to provide guidance to practitioners in determining the needs for the installation of such signals.The study finds that distance criterion should not be used as the sole indicator for the installation of a presignal and therefore, engineering studies must be performed in all cases to determine presignal needs. Furthermore, the work concluded that the MUTCD must be modified to provide standards and guidelines that can be used nationwide for systematic quantitative assessment in determining when presignals are warranted near railroad crossings. This study proposes that presignals be installed based on warrants that consist of crash data, queue distance and no gates at the crossing. The proposed modifications include describing presignal types, defining their purpose, developing presignal warrants, and creating guidelines that can be used by practitioners.The changes and revisions recommended by this research work include queue length analysis, signal phasing and timing modifications, and existing intersection infrastructure needs. The resulting warrants and guidelines for presignal installation can be used nationally to provide uniform guidance and recommendations in performing presignal studies.
2
Cho, Hanseon. "Preemption strategy for traffic signals at intersections near highway-railroad grade crossings." Texas A&M University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/406.
Full textAbstract:
Because the operational characteristics of signalized intersections near highway-railroad grade crossings (IHRGCs) are different from those of signalized intersections located elsewhere in the traffic system, standard operational strategies do not apply. This is because safe operation at IHRGCs takes precedence over all other objectives.
Because the prime objective of the current preemption methods is to clear the crossing, secondary objectives such as safe pedestrian crossing time and minimized delay are given less consideration or ignored completely. Consequently, state-of-the-practice strategies may cause serious pedestrian safety and efficiency problems at IHRGCs. Therefore, there is a definite need for research on how to improve traffic signal preemption strategies.
An important element of preemption strategy is detection of trains and prediction of arrival times. However, because of the limitations of current detection technologies, estimation algorithms, etc., there is a wide range in these warning times. In this dissertation, a new train-arrival prediction algorithm was developed using detection equipment located farther upstream from the HRGC.
The state-of-the-art transition preemption strategy (TPS) was developed to ensure that as preemption is initiated by approaching trains, the signal display does not change in a manner that endangers either pedestrians or drivers. However, because it does not account for the variability of predicted train arrival times, there is still a possibility of failure.
Therefore, a new transition preemption algorithm that is specifically designed to improve intersection performance while maintaining or improving the current level of safety is developed. This dissertation developed a preemption strategy (TPS3) that uses better train arrival time estimates to improve the safety and efficiency of IHRGCs. The approach was simulated on a test bed in College Station, Texas, and it was concluded that the new TPS improves the safety and operation of intersections near highway-railroad grade crossings.
3
Jhy-PyngLin and 林治平. "FACTORS AND COUNTERMEASURES FOR CRASHES AND GATE-BREAKING INCIDENTS AT HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS." Thesis, 2015. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/26456500381110971437.
Full textAbstract:
博士<br>國立成功大學<br>交通管理科學系<br>103<br>In Taiwan, over one-third of the crashes occurring at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGXs) are fatal and result in serious train delays. In addition, more than 3,000 auto-barrier gates were broken by highway vehicles every year before 2006. It is therefore a critical issue for the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) to eliminate traffic collisions at HRGXs. This research develops several integrated models to explore the causal relationships between crash frequency/ gate-breaking frequency and specific risk factors, as well as to investigate the effects of respective countermeasures on preventing HRGX incidents. Especially sight distance of locomotive engineer (train driver) is the first time to be converted into time factor (TTA) for the HRGX crash analysis. A classification regression model was employed to investigate the causal relationship between time to train arrival (TTA) and crash frequency. Also HRGX with a shorter TTA is validated having significantly associated with higher crash rate. The CCY-TTA regression equations are successfully functional to explore collision trend in the conjunction table which is paired by HRGX attributes and crash characteristics. Meanwhile HRGX with a higher gate breaking frequency is likely to have higher traffic collision frequency. The logistic regression models were developed for the analysis of gate-breaking frequencies in which three highway vehicle modes were analyzed under three gate breaking types. Every mode shows various consequences of gate-breaking frequency by different HRGX attributes. Especially heavy vehicles conducting half of gate-breaking incidents are easier to break the gates at the HRGX near intersection than that near station. In addition, a three-layer hierarchical model toward incidents related to heavy vehicles was developed to identify the key factors and combination of the factors that best explain crash and gate-breaking frequency. Further, the before-and-after effects of three control and warning devices, including law-enforcement camera and video, LED train approaching indicator, and obstacle detector, on the reduction of crash/gate-breaking rates were evaluated. The pure and interaction effects of these three advanced devices on improving the safety levels of HRGXs were analyzed. As a result the small marginal effectiveness of combined two and three advanced devices means that an over-investment was at some HRGXs in Taiwan. Finally, a risk assessment conducted by assigning the methodology of the risk evaluation process is carried out in order to analyze the total risk and average risk levels for an HRGX. By comparing before and after existing countermeasures in different periods, the results in terms of risk evaluation of an HRGX would therefore be beneficial to the TRA to reduce HRGX crashes and gate-breaking incidents.
4
Horan, Timothy P. "Evaluating At-Grade Rail Crossing Safety along the Knowledge Corridor in Massachusetts." 2013. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/971.
Full textAbstract:
Highway-rail grade crossings are safer than ever, but collisions between motor vehicles and trains persist. Some collisions could be prevented by actively maintaining such grade crossings, yet many at-grade rail crossings are only evaluated following collisions. Those crossings that experience no collisions may go decades without being inspected. In recent years, the Congress has allocated funds for a national High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program, and it is in the public’s interest for state road/highway agencies to inspect all highway-rail crossings in high-speed rail corridors to ensure that the warning systems in place are commensurate with the crossings’ needs. The objectives of this research are to a) determine the adequacy of traffic control devices at highway-rail grade crossings along the restored Vermonter tracks in Massachusetts; and b) to recommend crossings for closure and/or grade separation if it is determined that the traffic control devices are inadequate at an intersection. The major findings of this paper are that a majority of the at-grade rail crossings need some improvements to be in compliance with MUTCD standards. Additionally, four at-grade crossings are identified for closure, grade-separation, and/or additional traffic control devices beyond MUTCD standards.
5
Millegan, Harold Lynn. "Effectiveness of Stop Sign Installations at Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings: An Evaluation of Installation Safety Performance." 2008. http://etd.utk.edu/2008/August2008Dissertations/MilleganHaroldLynn.pdf.
Full text
6
An-ChiHsieh and 謝安琪. "Investigation of Crash Factors and Risk Levels at Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings Using Classification and Regression Tree." Thesis, 2013. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/18616843733613859199.
Full textAbstract:
碩士<br>國立成功大學<br>交通管理學系碩博士班<br>101<br>Although traffic collisions at highway-railroad grade crossing (HRGXs) are rare incidents, they might incur significant number of casualties and different degrees of property losses. This research investigates the factors that have effects on the occurrence of the traffic collisions at HRGXs. This research applies classification and regression tree (CART), a two-stage classification and regression approach, to identify the key factors that are responsible for traffic collisions at HRGXs to resolve some the theoretical problems associated with the traditional one-stage count data statistical models. For risk management, this research also constructs a risk matrix of the HRGXs. Using the HRGX crash and grade crossing inventory data provided by Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) during 2008~2010 in Taiwan, the empirical study aims to provide the rail agency with reference about how to assess the priority for a safety improvement program.
7
Zankowski, Jennifer Jaye. "Safety at highway-railroad crossings : a case study of the Austin-San Antonio corridor." Thesis, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2011-05-3275.
Full textAbstract:
For over a decade proposals for connecting the metropolitan areas of Austin and San Antonio, Texas via passenger rail have been studied. In the Texas Department of Transportation’s 2010 Rail Plan several ideas, including high-speed rail, regional Amtrak service, and a new passenger rail service have been proposed as a means to provide an alternate mode of transportation along the I-35 corridor. Union Pacific Railroad currently owns and operations a rail line that connects the Austin and San Antonio metropolitan areas; each of the passenger rail projects proposes sharing this corridor with Union Pacific. A literature review reveals that a key factor in negotiating with a freight railroad for shared use of a corridor is safety. One element of the safety risk analysis is the evaluation of at-grade highway-railroad crossing. This study discusses the Austin-San Antonio corridor, its current mobility challenges and the proposed passenger rail projects. It then discusses rail safety as expressed in the literature and provides background about safety at highway-railroad crossings. Crossing inventory and accident data, as maintained by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is then analyzed using regression modeling in an attempt to better understand the relationship between the physical and operational characteristics of highway-railroad crossings and accidents on corridors shared by freight and passenger rail. It analyzes a five-year accident history (2005 to 2009) from of a sample of shared use highway-rail crossings throughout the US. The findings are then used to analyze the at-grade highway-railroad crossings along the Austin-San Antonio corridor. And finally, the implications of the findings are discussed. The findings of this report recommend that characteristics of the built environment such as land use, number of traffic lanes, and function classification of the roadway should be considered when assessing accident risk at highway-railroad crossings. In addition, this analysis reveals the need for a way to better measure safety risks at private highway-railroad crossings.<br>text
8
Ng, Oi Kei. "Modeling Safety Performance at Grade Crossing using Microscopic Simulation." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/5511.
Full textAbstract:
The analysis of grade crossing safety has long focused on vehicle-train crashes using statistical models based on crash data. The potential crashes generated by vehicle-vehicle rear-end conflicts have often been ignored. The interaction of different traffic attributes on safety performance of a grade crossing is also not well-understood.
The primary objective of this thesis is to model the causal relationship of vehicle-vehicle interactions by developing the operation logic of gate-equipped grade crossing using a commercially available microscopic simulation package that models human driver behaviors. The simulation-generated vehicle trajectory data allows detail safety performance analysis on vehicle-vehicle interaction over time as they approach the track.
A dual-gate equipped crossing at Kitchener, Ontario is selected as the study area. Initially, logic modifications are made to the simulation package (VISSIM) in order to accurately model the grade crossing segment. A two-step calibration is used in this thesis. Firstly, model input parameters for a signalized intersection from literature are used to model typical car-following behavior along this type of roadway. Secondly, parameters used to model drivers’ decision and reaction when approaching crossing is fine tuned through data collection and calibration. After incorporating all the modifications to the simulation package, validation is undertaken by comparing model-generated speed profiles to on-site observed speed profile. The established model is tested for its safety performance sensitivity through varying three traffic attributes in the simulation: (i) percentage of bus, (ii) total traffic volume, (iii) percentage of cars in the center lane of a 2-lane approach. Four safety performance measures were selected.
The overall results indicate that the established model is functional and reliable in modeling grade crossing vehicles interactions at gated crossings. In the absence of a train, vehicles’ reduction in speed in the vicinity of a crossing results in traffic flow turbulence that increases the opportunity for high risk rear-end vehicle interactions. The sensitivity test revealed that the spillback behavior of vehicles due to the stopping behaviors of buses increases risk in the upstream section. Also, overloading of vehicles into the network indeed improves safety as the effect of differential speed diminishes. Among the four selected safety performance measures, DRAC seems to reflect problems with rear-end vehicle interactions in the vicinity of a crossing as a function of the traffic attributes considered in this research.
Books on the topic "At-grade crossings"
1
Stewart, Ron W. Second train warning at grade crossings. Transportation Development Centre, 2004.
Find full text
2
Tanaka, Tom Urbanik and Alison. Traffic Signal Preemption at Intersections Near Highwayâ€"Rail Grade Crossings. Transportation Research Board, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.17226/24769.
Full text
3
Eccles, Kimberly A. Design, operation, and safety of at-grade crossings of exclusive busways. Transportation Research Board, 2007.
Find full text
4
Eccles, Kimberly A. Design, operation, and safety of at-grade crossings of exclusive busways. Transportation Research Board, 2007.
Find full text
5
Diefenderfer, Brian K. Crossing structure recommendations for at-grade rail crossings of U.S. Routes 29 and 15 in Prince William County, Virginia. Virginia Transportation Research Council, 2005.
Find full text
6
Institute of Transportation Engineers. Traffic Engineering Council Committee TENC-4M-35. Preemption of traffic signals at or near railroad grade crossings with active warning devices: A recommended practice. ITE, 1997.
Find full text
7
United States. National Transportation Safety Board. Collision of Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (METRA) train and Transportation Joint Agreement School District 47/155 school bus at railroad/highway grade crossing in Fox River Grove, Illinois, on October 25, 1995. The Board, 1996.
Find full text
8
Khattak, Aemal J. Safety improvements at highway-railroad crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists and the assessment of long-term effects of centerline curbing. Nebraska Transportation Center, 2012.
Find full text
9
United States. National Transportation Safety Board, ed. Safety at passive grade crossings. National Transportation Safety Board, 1998.
Find full text
10
(Canada), Transportation Development Centre, and Highway-Railway Grade Crossing Research Program (Canada), eds. Second train warning at grade crossings. Transportation Development Centre, 2005.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "At-grade crossings"
1
Van Hung, Pham, Tran The Truyen, Tran Anh Dung, Doan Bao Quoc, Le Hai Ha, and Nguyen Hong Phong. "Design Proposal and Behavior Simulation of Prestressed Concrete Slab Track at Highway-Railway Grade Crossings." In Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. Springer Singapore, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0802-8_11.
Full text
2
Callahan, Richard F. "Infrastructure Partnership Success in Southern California." In Great Policy Successes. Oxford University Press, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198843719.003.0009.
Full textAbstract:
The Alameda Corridor rail project became a tale of two cities: Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. It started as a story including each of the six cities in between. The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority transformed a tangled web of rail lines, each owned and operated by three competing railroads, into one line. The new corridor created public value in eliminating grade rail crossing that backed up truck and car traffic in six mid-corridor cities, and through the reduction of air pollution emissions and groundwater contamination. The line moved the harbours from reliance on nineteenth-century rail technology to a twenty-first-century system aligned with the technology needed to compete in a globalized goods movement world. Public expense was significantly reduced as the line was built primarily with private sector debt financing, which was paid off by fees on private sector container cargo. The move to governance by only the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles contained costs and kept the project on time to reduce the financial uncertainty that would have adversely affected the costs of borrowing. This efficient decision-making structure based on those with a financial stake in cost containment came at the expense of participation in decision-making by mid-corridor cities.
Conference papers on the topic "At-grade crossings"
1
Kadiyala, Sampath, Phani Gubbala, and Steven D. Schrock. "Human Behavior at Railroad Grade Crossings." In 2016 Joint Rail Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/jrc2016-5786.
Full textAbstract:
A comprehensive study is needed to address the human behavior at railroad grade crossings. Human behavior at different signs changes and it may lead to crashes. No guidance is provided in the recommendations provided by Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices where and when different type of signs and different combination of signs are appropriate. Crashes occur mostly when the drivers try to go through the gate or around the gate when a train is approaching. Drivers come to a complete stop at stop signs and then proceed only if a train is not coming, this may lead to a crash when they cannot accelerate in time to cross the tracks. Yield sign may have better results in this case. Cross-buck signs are same as the yield sign where drivers should slow down, look for the train and then proceed. However, people may tend to proceed without yielding as it is not as common of a sign. Hence we can say driver behavior at specific sign is important for the recommendation or the guideline to install a sign. Adopting a common sign at all grade crossings could provide enhanced consistency and reduce crashes. A literature review was done on human behavior at grade crossings and the crash rate at different types of signs. Driver behavior at the time of the crash for 15 states was studied from the Federal Railroad Administration data by reviewing detailed reasons for every crash. Driver behavior at different types of signs at the time of each crash was studied from the reviewed data and the literature review. Driver behavior at different signs was summarized.
2
Shehada, Mohammad, Akshit Ahuja, and Steven D. Schrock. "Advancing Pedestrian Safety and Case Study of Pedestrian Psychology at Railroad Grade Crossing." In 2016 Joint Rail Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/jrc2016-5780.
Full textAbstract:
Contrary to the declining railroad-highway crossing crashes over the past decade, the pedestrian-railroad interface has remained relatively unchanged. While engineering solutions and law enforcement have been tried, little is known about their effectiveness on the pedestrian mindset and psychology. One of the main reason for crashes of this type is that pedestrians tend to be restless while waiting at railroad crossings. This can lead to pedestrians performing irrational acts such as attempting to walk across a crossing before a train arrives. Earlier, trains traveled at slower speeds which pedestrians could react to easily and trains had less freight so it needed less braking distance and thus it was easier to control them. There are many factors with the potential to improve pedestrian safety at railroad crossings. In this paper the current safety norms for railroad crossings existing across in more than 40 major cities in US were analyzed to determine the existing safety standards for pedestrians at railroad grade crossings. State departments of transportation (DOTs) were contacted, along with professionals in public and private sector involved in safety at railroad crossing and ask them what according to them is a high risk railroad grade crossings in their area, safety practices that are common in their area, various threats to Safety implementation and then analyze these crossing for the types, safety signs and equipment present at them.
3
Rose, Jerry G. "Rehabilitation Techniques to Improve Long-Term Performances of Highway-Railway At-Grade Crossings." In 2011 Joint Rail Conference. ASMEDC, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/jrc2011-56015.
Full textAbstract:
The primary purpose of the highway-railway at-grade crossing is to provide a smooth surface for the safe passage of rubber-tired vehicles across the railroad. The crossing support and surface in the jointly used area represent a significantly expensive unit cost of the highway and railway line. The ideal highway crossing will maintain a smooth surface and stable trackbed for a long period of time. This will reduce costly, frequent disruptions to highway and railway traffic (to adjust the track or renew the surface due to rideability concerns), while concurrently providing improved operating performance and long life. Technology is available for rapidly renewing highway crossings within one day using a panel system with specifically designed layered support and premium materials. The procedure involves complete removal of the old crossing panel and trackbed materials — and replacing them with an asphalt underlayment layer, a pre-compacted ballast layer, a new track panel, and a new crossing surface. A cooperative effort between the local highway agency and the railway company will reduce costs, improve the quality of the finished product, and reduce outage of the highway and railroad. A major objective is to minimize disruption to both highway and railway traffic during the renewal process in addition to extending the life of the crossing. Suggested procedures, based on experiences for several installations, are presented. Typical schedules are for the railroad to be to be out-of-service for a maximum of four hours and for the highway to be closed only eight to twelve hours. Results are presented for crossings instrumented with pressure cells to document Pressure levels within the layered portion of the crossing structure. In addition, long-term Settlement measurements and assessments for several crossings are documented. The measurements indicate significantly reduced long-term settlements of crossings incorporating the rapid-renewal, layered system, while maintaining acceptable smoothness levels. These long-term performance evaluations indicate this practice ensures long-life, economical, smooth crossings for improved safety and operating performances for both highway agencies and railway companies.
4
Kunisetty, Jaya Lakshmi, Angela Jannini Weissmann, Jose Weissmann, Mijia Yang, and Steven P. Venglar. "Warrants for Active Warning Devices at Low-Volume Highway-Rail Grade Crossings." In 2012 Joint Rail Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/jrc2012-74146.
Full textAbstract:
The main objective of this research is to reduce the number of crashes between vehicles and trains at low-volume passive highway-rail at grade crossings by developing a revised safety index and warrants for active warning devices in the state of Texas. The research is focused only on low-volume crossings because most high-volume crossings in the state of Texas have already received improvements in terms of traffic control devices as the existing Texas priority index prioritizes high-volume crossings. This technical paper will describe and provide the most up-to-date preliminary results for warrants of the first year study in a two year Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) 0-6642 project called “Developing Warrants for Active Warning Devices at Low-Volume Highway-Rail Grade Crossings.” In order to prioritize the crossings that meet warrants a priority index should be used. The current Texas priority index places more emphasis on high-volume crossings with crash history and it doesn’t include several important variables. In order to address the issues of the current Texas priority index a new Texas Passive Crossing Index was developed based on a different concept — instead of using numeric thresholds, cumulative percentiles of the relevant variables are used.
5
Malloy, Brett, Jerry G. Rose, and Reginald R. Souleyrette. "Rehabilitation, Assessment and Management Practices to Ensure Long-Life, High Performance Highway-Railway At-Grade Crossings." In 2014 Joint Rail Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/jrc2014-3761.
Full textAbstract:
Rehabilitating and/or replacement of highway-railway at-grade crossings frequently accounts for major track maintenance expenses for the U.S. highway governmental agencies and the railroad industry. Substantial numbers of crossings deteriorate at a more rapid rate than the abutting trackbed and pavement. This is largely due to the structural implications of the combined highway and railway loadings within the jointly used crossing area and difficultly in maintaining adequate drainage within the immediate crossing area. A highway-railway at-grade crossing is designed to fulfill its primary purpose of providing a smooth surface for the safe passage of rubber-tired vehicles across the railroad. The jointly used area represents a significantly expensive unit cost of the highway and railway line. Ideally a highway crossing will maintain a smooth surface and stable trackbed for a long period of time. This reduces costly and frequent disruptions to highway and railway traffic when the track needs adjusting or the surface needs replacing due to rideability concerns. Technology is available for “fast-tracking” the renewal of highway crossings within one day (if desired) using a panel system with specifically designed layered support and premium materials. The procedure involves complete removal of the old crossing panel and trackbed materials. The replacement consists of an asphalt underlayment layer, a pre-compacted ballast layer, a new track panel, and a new crossing surface. The composition of the asphalt layer is similar to that used for highways. It replaces all, or a portion of, the typical granular subballast layer. A cooperative effort between the local highway agency and the railway company will ideally reduce costs, improve the quality of the finished product, and reduce outage of the highway and railroad during the rehabilitation process. A major objective is to minimize disruption to both highway and railway traffic during the renewal process in addition to improving the performance and extending the life of the crossing. Typical schedules are for the railroad to be out-of-service for a maximum of four hours and for the highway to be closed only eight to twelve hours, when length of closure is an issue of importance. Numerous long-term tests and performance evaluations of heavy trafficked railway and highway crossings are presented herein. Pressure cells have been imbedded within the trackbed to document pressure levels within the layered portion of the crossing structure due to loadings from trains and highway vehicles. In addition, long-term settlement measurements and assessments for several crossings are documented. The measurements indicate significantly reduced long-term settlements of crossings incorporating the rapid-renewal, layered system, while maintaining acceptable smoothness levels. In addition, standard practices and specifications are presented for several highway agencies and railway companies using this technology for their crossing renewal programs. These long-term performance evaluations indicate this practice ensures long-life, economical, smooth crossings for improved safety and operating performances. The application of this technology continues to increase and it is considered a standard practice in many areas of the country. A crossing management technique (model decision-making process) is described for assessing the optimum engineering solutions to restore desired smoothness, minimize subsequent settlement, and ensure acceptable long-term performances for highway-railway at-grade crossings. These are site-specific and based on historical performance, the present observed performance and condition, and measurable parameters for the particular crossing. The model decision-making process includes three options, depending on the source(s) of the crossing roughness. The process can involve merely making improvements to the quality of the pavement approaches. Another scenario can be to replace only the deteriorated crossing surface. The most involved solution is the complete renewal of the crossing surface, track panel, and underlying support to rectify a chronic problem that may be inhibiting the crossing from achieving optimum performance.
6
Medina, J. C., S. Shen, and R. F. Benekohal. "Microscopic Analysis for Accident Data at Railroad Grade Crossings." In Second Transportation & Development Congress 2014. American Society of Civil Engineers, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/9780784413586.035.
Full text
7
Ghafouri, Reza, and Morteza Bagheri. "Comparison Models Evaluating Countermeasures at Highway-Railway Grade Crossings." In Second International Conference on Transportation Information and Safety. American Society of Civil Engineers, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/9780784413036.258.
Full text
8
Choi, Junsung, Vuk Marojevic, Christopher R. Anderson, and Carl B. Dietrich. "Experimental Analysis of DSRC for Radio Signaling at Grade Crossings." In 2019 IEEE 2nd Connected and Automated Vehicles Symposium (CAVS). IEEE, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/cavs.2019.8887774.
Full text
9
Heydari, Shahram, and Liping Fu. "Developing Safety Performance Functions for Railway Grade Crossings: A Case Study of Canada." In 2015 Joint Rail Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/jrc2015-5768.
Full textAbstract:
Although accident frequencies at railway grade crossings have shown a decreasing trend over the last two decades (partly due to implemented safety improvements and technological advances), safety at grade crossings is still a major concern since crossing accidents are usually associated with devastating consequences. This paper investigates the effect of various site attributes on railway crossing safety outcomes using recent Canada wide data from a 6-year period (2008–2013). The new data sets allow adjusting previous accident models according to latest circumstances (e.g., vehicles’ improved safety features) affecting safety dynamics at crossings. Employing Bayesian hierarchical models including the non-conventional Poisson-Weibull model, different safety performance functions were separately developed for crossings with the following major warning systems: (1) flashing light and bell (FLB), (2) flashing light, bell, and gate (FLBG), (3) standard reflectorized crossing sign (SRCS), and (4) standard reflectorized crossing sign and stop sign (SRCS & STOP). Among other findings, the results indicated that traffic exposure (product of train and vehicle), number of lanes, whistle prohibition, train speed, and road speed were the most important factors affecting accident frequencies at Canadian railway crossings. It should be also noted that safety performance functions vary, in terms of independent variables and their associated coefficients, between the aforementioned warning devices.
10
Wang, Teng (Alex), Reginald R. Souleyrette, Daniel Lau, and Peng Xu. "Rail Highway Grade Crossing Roughness Quantitative Measurement Using 3D Technology." In 2014 Joint Rail Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/jrc2014-3778.
Full textAbstract:
Quality of surface is an important aspect affecting both the safety and the performance of at-grade rail-highway crossings. Roughness may increase the risk of crashes for both trains and automobiles. Varying grades in crossing profiles increase the likelihood of high-centered crossing collisions between train and truck [1]. The US DOT Railroad Highway Grade Crossing Handbook [2] suggests that rough surfaces could distract a driver’s attention from oncoming trains and that the unevenness of the crossing could result in a driver losing control of their vehicle resulting in a crash. No quantitative method currently exists to quickly and economically assess the condition of rail crossings in order to evaluate the long term performance of crossings and set a quantitative trigger for their rehabilitation. The conventional method to measure the surface of quality of crossings is based on expert judgment, whereby crossing surfaces are classified as poor, fair or good after an inspector visits and drives over the crossing. However, actual condition of the crossing could be different from the subjective rating. Poor condition rating crossings may not always present the most cost-effective locations for preventive maintenance to lower overall life-cycle costs. Conventional ratings may derive from driving a passenger car of pickup once over the crossing. Effects of various speed, on various vehicles (suspension), and at various places (laterally) cannot be determined or even estimated except at the smoothest of crossings. A quantifiable and extensible procedure is desired. With rapid advances in computer science, 3D sensing and imaging technologies, it seems logical that a cost-effective quantitative method could be developed to determine the need to rehabilitate rail crossings and assess long term performance. Fundamental to the quantification of crossing condition is the acquisition of an accurate 3D surface model of the crossing in its present state. This paper reports on the development of an accurate, low cost and readily deployable sensor capable of rapid collection of this 3D surface. The research is seen as a first step towards automating the crossing inspection process, ultimately leading to the quantification and estimation of future performance of rail crossing.
Reports on the topic "At-grade crossings"
1
Chandra, Shailesh, Mehran Rahmani, Timothy Thai, Vivek Mishra, and Jacqueline Camacho. Evaluating Financing Mechanisms and Economic Benefits to Fund Grade Separation Projects. Mineta Transportation Institute, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.31979/mti.2020.1926.
Full textAbstract:
Investment in transportation infrastructure projects generates benefits, both direct and indirect. While emissions reductions, crash reductions, and travel time savings are prominent direct benefits, there are indirect benefits in the form of real estate enhancements that could pay off debt or loan incurred in the improvement of the infrastructure itself. Studies have shown that improvements associated with rail transportation (such as station upgrades) trigger an increase in the surrounding real estate values, increasing both the opportunity for monetary gains and, ultimately, property tax collections. There is plenty of available guidance that provides blueprints for benefits calculations for operational improvements in rail transportation. However, resources are quite limited in the analysis of benefits that accrue from the separation of railroad at-grade crossings. Understanding the impact of separation in a neighborhood with high employment or population could generate revenues through increased tax collections. In California, the research need is further amplified by a lack of guidance from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on at-grade crossing for separation based on revenue generated. There is a critical need to understand whether grade separation projects could impact neighboring real estate values that could potentially be used to fund such separations. With COVID-19, as current infrastructure spending in California is experiencing a reboot, an approach more oriented to benefits and costs for railroad at-grade separation should be explored. Thus, this research uses a robust benefits-to-cost analysis (BCA) to probe the economic impacts of railroad at-grade separation projects. The investigation is carried out across twelve railroad-highway at-grade crossings in California. These crossings are located at Francisquito Ave., Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station, Sassafras St., Palm St., Civic Center Dr., L St., Spring St. (North), J St., E St., H St., Parkmoor West, and Nursery Ave. The authors found that a majority of the selected at-grade crossings analyzed accrue high benefits-to-cost (BC) ratios from travel time savings, safety improvements, emissions reductions, and potential revenue generated if property taxes are collected and used to fund such separation projects. The analysis shows that with the estimated BC ratios, the railroad crossing at Nursery Ave. in Fremont, Palm St. in San Diego, and H St. in Chula Vista could be ideal candidates for separation. The methodology presented in this research could serve as a handy reference for decision-makers selecting one or more at-grade crossings for the separation considering economic outputs and costs.
2
Lin, Pei-Sung. Improved Traffic Control Measures to Prevent Incorrect Turns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. University of South Florida, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/cutr-nctr-rr-2013-06.
Full text