“Think Systematically” A Common Sense Approach to Crossing Safety May 20, 2008 Craig N. Rasmussen, P.E. Manager Public Projects

1 What is “Systematically?” Our Call: Develop Cost Effective Safety Measures Our Challenge: Be as Uniform as Possible, While Doing the Greatest Good Our Opposition: Don’t Let our Bureaucracies and “Safety- Resisters” Stand in Our Way

2 Quiz: How many issues in this photo?

3 FRESHMAN LEVEL Warning Devices for Vehicles Pedestrians SOPHOMORE LEVEL Track Alignment Site Measurements GENIUS LEVEL Where are all these people coming from? How was this picture taken?

4 What Makes this complex? Political forces Lack of perceived consequence for road agency Demonstrating safety benefits Historical Reasons

5 A Timeless Portrait…?

6 Urban & Rural Crossings: Isn’t it really the same issue? What are the solutions to these two seeming unrelated locations?

7 Cost of Modern Infrastructure: What’s Happened to Rural America?

8 Cost of Modern Infrastructure What is your basis for justification of improvements? When the road authority does not maintain the road – what does this say to the RR? The Special Case of Parallel Waterways What is “Reasonable & Convenient” When did it become necessary to provide multiple access points for one land owner?

9 Passive Crossings: YIELD signs

10 Passive Crossings: YIELD signs YIELD signs have been allowed for a long time FHWA recommends it as the default choice in passive warning devices NCUTCD recommendation to revise MUTCD Study proves: Drivers can misinterpret crossbucks, but do not misinterpret YIELD

11 YIELD signs: “Safety Resister” Slogans I don’t want YIELD signs in my county It’s just another sign to maintain We need YIELD AHEAD signs everywhere and that’s two more signs to maintain! We want STOP signs instead We’ll need to perform diagnostics for their installation

12 Nearly All Crossing Collisions can be traced to Driver Behavior Drove Around Gate: 12% Did Not Stop 47% Sources: AAR Analysis of Highway-Rail Incident Database for FRA, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report 2004, Table 8-6. Note: Motor vehicle highway-rail incidents at public crossings. Stopped on Tracks: 28% Stopped, Proceeded 7% Other 5%

13 Our Joint Responsibilities

14 Our Joint Responsibilities

15 Our Joint Responsibilities

16 Low Cost ITS?

17 Low Cost ITS?

18 Is different better?

19 A Systematic Approach to Closures

20 A Systematic Approach to Closures Proven best way to eliminate incidents 3,900+ closures in past 7 years Result – 60% decrease in rate of grade crossing incidents

21 Guidance from Federal Highway Administration Quoted from the 2003 MUTCD: “Because highway-rail grade crossings are a potential source of crashes and congestion, agencies should conduct engineering studies to determine the cost and benefits of eliminating these crossings.” “Any highway-rail grade crossing that cannot be justified should be eliminated.”

22 Safety Resister Slogans Access is Needed for Emergency Response Farmers Need Public Access to Fields This is the State’s / Railroad’s Problem Access is Justified because it’s There Today

23 How did this happen?

24 Video Enforcement Proven Technology for certain crossings Current Multi-Camera installations minimize historical resistance Still left to Local Law Enforcement to decide if Citations are warranted One of the most important tools to enhancing active warning devices

25 Newly Land Locked Parcels

26 Newly Land Locked Parcels Road Abandonment Township (or similar) uses the RR as a convenient place to stop the public road to save money Who has land-locked the property owner?

27 Newly Land Locked Parcels Road Abandonment Township (or similar) uses the RR as a convenient place to stop the public road to save money Who has land-locked the property owner? Road Abandonment Highway authority constructs a new limited access highway Highway authority modifies right of access to existing highway Who has land-locked the property owner?

28 Newly Land Locked Parcels: Solutions If it’s not important enough to maintain a road, it’s not important enough to provide access Share access – establish shared driveway permits Don’t leave remainders of parcels between new highways and the railroad Use frontage road system

29 Go Forth and be Systematic! Let the Magnitude of the Problem Guide the Magnitude of the Solution Not Every Problem has to have a $1M Solution Use a Consistent Approach to Crossing Safety Dig Deeper to Counteract Safety-Resisters Look for Patterns Good Things Happen to those who can See Around Corners

30 Craig N. Rasmussen, P.E. Manager Public Projects BNSF Railway Company Phone:

31 Low Cost ITS? Private Crossing Limited Clearance for Parallel Highway Devised before LED’s or Blankout signs Solved the Problem for its time

32 Case Study: Macomb, Illinois PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS 17 Grade Crossings in 1.5 miles Many Flasher only crossings Older Circuitry IN-PROGRESS UPGRADES 3 Public Crossing Closures Conversion to 1-way pairs Upgrade to CWT with AFLS/G