Mid-States Highway-Rail Crossing Safety Conference Larry J. Colclasure, P.E. Director of Transportation Operations Texas Department of Transportation Waco District

Waco District Dallas Ft Worth Austin

Waco Temple Killeen Fort Hood Copperas Cove

 Requires cooperation between agencies  Dependent on others  Catastrophic results when things don’t go according to plan Key Concerns with Preemption:

Other Key Concerns with Preemption:  Tools not available to assist.  Static (factors do not change).  Infrequent occurrences.

It equals a continual relearning process and a poor understanding by many technicians and engineers.

Waco Temple Killeen Fort Hood Copperas Cove

Copperas Cove, Texas

Pedestrian Issues to Consider:  How to account for pedestrians.  How to handle ped walk time?  How to handle ped clearance time?

Vehicular Issues to Consider:  How much time is needed to clear the queue?  How much time is needed for track clearance green?  Is preemption affected by the signal being in different phases?  What is preemption delay time?

Railroad Issues to Consider:  How much preemption time do I need?  How much advance preemption time is needed?  How much total preemption time do I have available?

Recent TxDOT Research on Preemption  Improved Traffic Signal Operation near Railroad Grade Crossings with Active Devices  Non-Vital Advance Rail Preemption of Signalized Intersections near Highway –Rail Grade Crossings  Best TxDOT Practices for Signal Timing & Detection Design at Intersection

Recent Tools Developed:  LADOT Preemption Form with Gate Interaction (Sean Skehan)  Texas Signal Coordination Optimization [Preemption page] (Michael Pratt & James Bonneson)