Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SA-59. Electronic Surveillance of Railroad-Highway Crossings for Collison Avoidance, State of the Practice

While the highway-rail grade crossing collision rate has fallen steadily since 1980, the rate has become stagnant. Opportunities remain to further improve grade crossing safety through a mix of engineering, education, and enforcement of applicable traffic laws. Electronic surveillance through rail crossing cameras has been increasingly employed to monitor grade crossings. Information gained from analysis of the surveillance data can then enhance engineering, education, and enforcement efforts. The objective of this study is to document public transit agencies’ current practices and lessons learned from rail service providers and others regarding the types, nature, implementations, successes, and failures of rail crossing electronic surveillance programs, particularly related to safety. First, a literature review was conducted on rail crossing operations, safety, and security to include documenting the emerging trends and future potentials for electronic surveillance of rail crossings. Then, using themes identified in the literature review, a survey was administered to 21 rail transit and commuter rail agencies to understand and document how agencies are addressing electronic surveillance for collision avoidance at railroad-highway crossings. Last, case examples were conducted for eight of the agencies to highlight implementation and application of surveillance technology. This synthesis concludes with summarizing the findings and identifying areas for further study. Amiy Varma, Ashish Varma, and Anurag Varma with AAAJ LLC collected and synthesized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on page iv. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5370
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Published as TCRP Synthesis 177.

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $55,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project J-07, Topic SA-59

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Garcia-Colberg, Mariela

• Performing Organizations:

  AAAJ, LLC

  ,   United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Varma, Amiy

• Start Date: 20220429
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Highway safety; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad safety; Traffic surveillance
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01846746
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project J-07, Topic SA-59
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 24 2022 10:35AM