RR GRADE CROSSING PROTECTION: PUC CRITERIA FOR AUTOMATIC DEVICES

EXPERIENCE SHOWS AUTOMATIC CROSSING GATES TO BE SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHER FORMS OF AUTOMATIC PROTECTION. DATA ON ALMOST 1,000 CROSSINGS HAS SHOWN THAT THE AUTOMATIC GATES REDUCE CASUALITIES BY ABOUT 90% AS MEASURED BY BEFORE-AND-AFTER STUDIES. CRITERIA FOR INSTALLING AUTOMATIC PROTECTION ARE PRESENTED. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN SPECIFICALLY ADOPTED BY THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE FORM OF ANY GENERAL ORDER, BUT THE COMMISSION HAS FOLLOWED THESE PRACTICES IN MANY DECISIONS WHERE PROTECTION WAS ORDERED. THE CRITERIA ARE NOT BASED ON ANY COST-BENEFIT FORMULAS, BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ASSIGNING $20,000 OR $100,000 TO A FATALITY WILL USUALLY MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECOMMENDING A SIGNAL AT ANY CROSSING AND NOT RECOMMENDING ONE.

• Corporate Authors:

  Itte, University of California, Berkeley

  23rd California Transportation & Public Works Conference
  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • Gibson, J K
• Publication Date: 1971-3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: At grade intersections; Automatic control; Gates; Highway safety; Railroad grade crossings; Strategic planning; Traffic control devices
• Uncontrolled Terms: Criteria
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226261
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: pp 45-46
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 1 1972 12:00AM