H ighway R ail G rade C rossing S afety 2015 SCORT Annual Meeting Fort Worth TX September 9 2015 1 October 25 1995 School bus was hit by a METRA commuter train at the Algonquin Road highwayrail grade crossing ID: 766741
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "H ighway- R ail G rade" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
H ighway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety2015 SCORT Annual MeetingFort Worth, TXSeptember 9, 2015 1
October 25, 1995: School bus was hit by a METRA commuter train at the Algonquin Road highway-rail grade crossing.Seven high school students lost their lives.Crossing safety has improved greatly since then but more remains to be done.2Fox River Grove, IL
In the past 10 years fatalities at U.S. crossings have declined substantially and we’ve seen some of the best railroad safety years on record. Last year, there were 269 fatalities at highway-rail crossings. That is roughly equivalent to the passenger load of a 747 aircraft.Recent, high-profile collisions at highway-rail grade crossings have highlighted the continued need for all of us to remain vigilant about highway-rail grade crossing safety.The Department of Transportation is dedicated to eliminating fatalities on our Nation’s railroads by working toward zero deaths. GX Accidents in Decline…But 2014 saw f atalities increase……a nd s everal high-profile a ccidents Any accident is one too many. 31 -24% Grade Crossing Safety is Top Priority for FRA
Total: 798 Rail-Related FatalitiesCY 2014
Two crossing collisions Illustrate the severe impact of crossing collisions on transportation safety5
Valhalla, NY February 3, 2015; 6:26 PMA Metro-North Railroad commuter train struck a Mercedes Benz SUV at the Commerce Street crossing.650 passengers on board6 fatalities (5 passengers and the driver)6
7
Notice the Traffic Signal 8
9
10
11
Halifax Co., NC March 9, 2015 at 12:30 p.m.An Amtrak passenger train struck a special rig truck-trailer (168 feet in length) at the Halifax Road crossing.50 of the 212 passengers were injured.Locomotive and passenger car derailed with the locomotive on its side.12
13
14
15
FRA crossing safety initiatives 16
The GROW AMERICA Act includes $250M annually for a new Local Rail Facilities and Safety Program, which includes funding for grade crossing safety enhancements.FRA just released a $10 million funding opportunity for States focusing on enhancing grade crossing and track safety.The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and FRA will continue working together to identify and develop tools to help States improve the impact of Section 130 funding.17Funding
“Federal Railroad Administration Ramps Up Campaign to Enhance Safety at Nation’s Grade Crossings”Press release: February 27, 2015Following the Metro-North collision in Valhalla, NY, and the Oxnard, CA, incident, FRA announced new efforts to improve crossing safety.18
Encourage data-driven , structured approaches Improving grade crossing location (lat/long) Enable turn-by-turn mapping technologies to make drivers aware of crossings when planning their trips.Help first responders and others to better prevent and react to incidents.Analyzing our grade crossing inventory and accident data to identify the conditions, including the types of drivers and behavior that may contribute to crossing accidents.19Education and Data
Update our predictive modeling to identify grade crossing hotspots for improvements and enforcement measures. Release an interim model State action plan guide to provide States with a comprehensive framework for addressing their grade crossing safety issues and concerns.Reach out to States, suggesting methods of adapting driver’s education tests and preparation materials to ensure drivers are aware of the importance of grade crossing safety. 20Education and Data
Providing a series of videos and tools for first responders to educate them on the importance of grade crossing safety and enforcement measures. Convene representatives from law enforcement agencies nationwide to help us develop meaningful tools and techniques for effective enforcement efforts at crossing hotspots.21Enforcement
FRA and FHWA will update to the DOT Grade Crossing handbook to provide guidance on topics ranging from engineering strategies to risk assessment and protective devices.FRA continues to play an active part in developing safe highway-rail crossing strategies as we fund nearly $19B in rail development projects across the country.22Engineering
FRA’s FY 16 Budget Request Crossing and pedestrian safety is one of three major points of interest.Adds 16 crossing managers and 8 trespass managersHouse passed funding for 16 crossing and 4 trespass managers.Increase funding to Operation Lifesaver by $415K$200K for another Trespass Workshop23
Trends in Fatalities At Grade Crossings, 1992–2014
Rail (million train miles) X Hwy Volume (trillion hwy miles) Collisions X 10 Fatalities (=quadrillion ) Collisions, Fatalities, and Exposure
Highway-Rail Collision Incident Rates (Collisions/M train-mile)26
Calendar Year Collisions down 14.8% (144 fewer)Fatalities down 11.5% (13 fewer)Fiscal YearCollisions down 8.2% (128 fewer)Fatalities down 11.6% (21 fewer)Crossing Collisions2015 vs. 2014 (Jan–May)
Marked improvement in crossing safety since Fox River Grove, IL, train-school bus collision. There is still work to be done.State participation is a major component in crossing safety efforts.Crossing safety must be addressed in the plans to improve passenger and freight rail service.28Conclusions
R on RiesStaff Director Highway-Rail Crossing and Trespasser Programs Division202-493-6285Ron.Ries@dot.gov29Questions?
RAIL – Moving America Forward