Research Incentive Programs for Closures of Public and Private Grade Crossings

In the United States, highway-rail incidents at public and private crossings are a major concern because of the loss of lives and injuries that result from such incidents, as well as the massive financial burden it places on state agencies and railroad administrators due to delays in services and damage to trains, tracks, and other equipment. Preliminary statistics show that for 2016, there were 2,025 such incidents resulting in 798 injuries and 265 fatalities nationwide. Louisiana has been ranked 7th in the top states with highway-rail grade crossing fatalities with 10 fatalities in 2016. Hence, there is a need to identify ways to address this issue and improve safety, one of which is to close redundant public and private grade crossings. This study seeks to identify and evaluate incentive programs already being used to encourage closure of private road/driveway crossings. It will also identify potential new programs that will encourage closure of such crossings for both public and private crossings. The study will rely on surveys to be administered nationwide to state transportation departments, railroad companies, and owners of private road/driveway crossings. It is anticipated that the research outcomes would include recommendations to assist state transportation departments (DOTs), local governments, railroad entities, and other industries that rely on rail service in their effort to reduce the number of potential vehicle-train collision points, and hence improve safety.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 17PPLSU13

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $99275
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747106

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET)

  Louisiana State University
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803
• Project Managers:

  Hassan, Marwa

• Performing Organizations:

  Louisiana State University and A&M College

  202 Himes Hall
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803

  Louisiana Transportation Research Center

  4101 Gourrier Avenue
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70808
• Principal Investigators:

  Codjoe, Julius

• Start Date: 20170508
• Expected Completion Date: 20181108
• Actual Completion Date: 20181108
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway safety; Railroad crashes; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad safety; State departments of transportation; Traffic crashes
• Geographic Terms: Louisiana; United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01635014
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747106
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 16 2017 11:31AM