FRA Administrator Announces Start of National Discussion On Improving Safety at Private Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Wednesday, July 26, 2006 (Washington, DC) The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will hold a series of public meetings across the country beginning in August to start a national discussion on the challenging issue of improving safety at the nation’s largely unregulated private highway-rail grade crossings, FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman announced.

“The lack of a common safety approach at private crossings unnecessarily puts certain motorists at risk,” Boardman said. “We need to learn all we can about private crossings in order to consider possible methods of reducing collisions and fatalities in the future,” he added.

Establishing responsibility for safety at private crossings is one of the primary goals of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Highway-Rail Grade Crossing and Trespass Prevention Action Plan issued in 2004, Boardman said. Increased focus on private crossings will compliment FRA’s ongoing comprehensive program to improve safety at public crossings.

Private crossings are owned by private property owners primarily to allow roadway access over railroad tracks to residential, commercial, or agricultural areas not meant for general public use, Boardman explained. Each year, about 400 accidents, and between 30 and 40 fatalities, occur at the over 94,000 private crossings used by both freight and passenger trains, he stated.

The FRA is seeking comments on topics such as determining when a private crossing has a public purpose and whether the State or Federal government should assume a greater role in setting safety standards. The first public meeting will be held in Fort Snelling, Minnesota with others tentatively planned for North Carolina, California, and Louisiana later this year.

Boardman made the announcement as he joined law enforcement officials on a special train in Cleveland, Ohio, organized by Operation Lifesaver to educate police officers about the seriousness of grade crossing and trespass violations. He said increased polic

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It’s about time. This could be a good thing or certain elements of the real estate and trial lawyer community could try to hijack the thing and make a mess out of it. (i.e.- Who me? responsible?[V])

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How 'bout stop, look, and listen?

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They are up against one major problem! Impatient and stupid people! There is no cure for either one that I know of![B)][:o)][%-)][banghead]

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That is somewhat of a curiousity to me. I assume that virtually all private crossings are un-signaled. They seem to be suggesting that private crossings, being unregulated, have not received sufficient attention to make them safe. But what lack of official attention or regulation, other than the application of signals, is there that would make a private crossing any more dangerous than an un-signaled public crossing? If anything, private crossings should be safer in terms of numbers of accidents, since they have the least amount of vehicle traffic.

I could see them focusing on how to improve safety at un-signaled crossings versus ones with signal protection, but I don’t see why they would focus on private crossings versus public crossings.

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I think it is a good example of trying to fix a problem that isn’t. Your point about the small amount of traffic on these crossings is a good one. By the way, welcome to the forum!

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Bucyrus & Solz: You two have so much to learn. The private crossings are a larger cause for concern than the public crossings. Public stupidity (especially from irresponsible developers, real estate people, farmers/agridummies, county/town officials, utilities) is putting additional people at risk by changing the use of crossings and having more people use crossings as a shortcut that really ought to be removed.

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The numbers are illuminating:

Decline in fatality rate at public grade crossings, 1975-2004: 56%
Increase in fataliy rate at private grade crossings, 1975-2004: 60%

Type of Device
Accidents Per 100,000 Units
of Average Daily Traffic
Gate
0.51
Crossbuck
1.67
Stop Sign
4.21

Source: FRA

S. Hadid

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I hear what you are saying, but I am still not sure if I understand the problem. When the article talks about trespassing and using the railroad as a short cut, I thought they meant driving or walking down the right of way. I suppose they could also be referring to the public use of a private crossing as a short cut, but I am generally unaware of instances where a private crossing could serve the general public. I do know of one case, though, where the entrance rode to a wildlife refuge crosses the U.P. on a private crossing. In that case, the crossing is used 100% by the public.

When I stop to think about, there are a number of things that I don’t understand about private crossings. For instance, why post the crossing with the message, “Private Crossing?” It seems to me that the most important message at grade crossing is the identification as a railroad crossing and the warning of trains. Yet, with private crossings, the main message is that it is private. What is a motorist supposed to do with that information?

U.P. adds a “No Trespassing” admonition to their private crossing signage. Do they mean trespass by entering

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[quote user=“DPD1”]
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[quote user=“Bucyrus”]

I hear what you are saying, but I am still not sure if I understand the problem. When the article talks about trespassing and using the railroad as a short cut, I thought they meant driving or walking down the right of way. I suppose they could also be referring to the public use of a private crossing as a short cut, but I am generally unaware of instances where a private crossing could serve the general public. I can think of multiple cases, with the current rage being fire department alternate emergency access routes. I do know of one case, though, where the entrance road to a wildlife refuge crosses the U.P. on a private crossing. In that case, the crossing is used 100% by the public.

When I stop to think about, there are a number of things that I don’t understand about private crossings. For instance, why post the crossing with the message, “Private Crossing?” It seems to me that the most important message at grade crossing is the identification as a railroad crossing and the warning of trains. Yet, with private crossings, the main message is that it is private. What is a motorist supposed to do with that information?

(1) Unless

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mudchicken,

I do appreciate the information although I don’t understand why you are being so contentious in your reply. I am not one of the people who are abusing private crossings, and I am not defending those people. All I am doing is asking questions. The premise of some of my questions contains assumptions that may be true or false, depending on the answer to the question. These assumptions that frame a question are not meant to be outright assertions that I intend to fight to defend.

For instance I asked the question, “Is the message, “Private Crossing” just a legal disclaimer by the railroad to cover them for the lack of responsibility that the state D.O.T. provides for public crossings?”

And you replied, “ (8) On top of everything else, railroads do not have to whistle for these crossings and the user assumes the responsibility every time he crosses. Why is it only the State DOT’s responsibility? The responsibility goes to a much lower local level. (I smell a bottom feeding troll, a-la the “M&M boys” festering here!)”

From your reply,

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Mudchicken,

You mentioned that the railroads are not required to whistle for private crossings. If the FRA wants to improve the safety of these private crossings, why would they not require the railroads to whistle for them? Aside from such a requirement, why would the railroads not voluntarily whistle for private crossings? It seems like such a small burden compared to the safety it adds.

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The railroads dont whistle for private crossings, number one, the owner doesnt want the whistle blown, hence their desire for a private crossing, and the more trains are heard the more people hate them.

To paint all private road crossings the same is difficult at best as there are federal, state and local laws, concerning the location of, who gets one, and so on. This might be an attempt to regulate the regulations on this problem. I know from one state to the next the liabilty at a private crossing is different, and who pays for maintence is different.

Personally I wouldnt mind blowing at every crossing, but again this goes to another thread on hear about quiet zones, people dont like horns and will do most anything to silence them, and then run and try to sue when they get hit because they were not paying attention.

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Thanks for your input. I understand this controversy about too much or too little whistling. I have been informed that whistling for private crossings is largely the perogative of the crossing assigned user.

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Not in this country.

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Last Public Meeting At Syracuse: http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1712

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They don’t like my solution … it involves a Jordan spreader.

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With all the major issues surrounding railroading…“30 and 40 fatalities, occur at the over 94,000 private crossings” …this is a pathetic priority worthy of a 12 year old choosing from a list…let’s see…capital funding…energy issues… rate issues…customer issues…mergers…capacity…hmmm…I know…lets choose a national discussion on reckless drivers and place the onus on railroads…brilliant…I have a more expeditious solution…weld together a seamless box and label it idiot proof…hold the box up in the first public meeting…heres the solution you morons…in this case…FRA…Futile Redundant Action. I would be embarrassed to even suggest this featherweight topic…the fact that it is being promoted is a pretty good indicator of “safe topic” as a lack of brain activity. What next? A national discussion on stopping at traffic lights? duh…this one got my hackles up…here’s a solution…let’s reduce the potential for fatalities from jaywalking by mandating cities eliminate sidewalks…or better yet eliminate FRA administrators who rouse the rabble to get in arms around an anti-railroad stance…who hired this idiot? Talk about a loose cannon…have her collect pigeons to eliminate the potential for SARS…I’ll donate a net.