Improving Safety at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings in Florida while Maintaining Continuity of Passenger and Freight Flows: A Multi-Objective Approach

Considering the importance of rail transportation in the State of Florida, large number of highway-rail grade crossings, fairly frequent occurrence of accidents at highway-rail grade crossings, and traffic delays caused by warning devices at highway-rail grade crossings, this project will assist Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) with the following primary objectives: (1) Develop a multi-objective optimization model that can assist the FDOT personnel with identification of highway-rail grade crossings that have to be upgraded and selection of the appropriate upgrading type, considering the existing budget constraints. (2) Analyze resource allocation decisions under conflicting objectives (i.e., minimize the overall hazard severity at highway-rail grade crossings vs. maximize passenger and freight flows). (3) Develop a standalone application, which deploys the proposed multi-objective optimization model, in order to facilitate decision making. (4) Conduct a set of case studies to demonstrate some important managerial insights from resource allocation among the highway-rail grade crossings in the State of Florida, given conflicting nature of the objectives considered. (5) Improve safety of highway travelers in the State of Florida by reducing the potential hazard of highway-rail grade crossings. (6) Ensure continuity of passenger and freight flows, reduce delays at highway-rail grade crossings, support economic development, and ensure prosperity of the state.

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $215000
• Contract Numbers:

  BDV30 977-33

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Florida Department of Transportation

  605 Suwannee Street
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Managing Organizations:

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Project Managers:

  Fitzgerald, Rickey

• Performing Organizations:

  Florida State University, Tallahassee

  217 Westcott Building
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32306-
• Principal Investigators:

  Dulebenets, Maxim A

• Start Date: 20200604
• Expected Completion Date: 20211231
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Decision making; Highway safety; Optimization; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad safety; Resource allocation; Upgrades (Roads)
• Geographic Terms: Florida
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01742518
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Florida Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: BDV30 977-33
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 16 2020 1:50PM