Developing a Safety Management System including Hazardous Materials for Highway-Rail Grade Crossings in Region VII

Highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) rank among the leading locations for fatal crashes on the railroad network in the United States, and safety at HRGCs is a top priority for the railroads and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This project studied HRGC safety needs by investigating crash data and HRGC inventory characteristics, and then developed a systematic framework for HRGC safety management in three steps. First, the project started with preparing a comprehensive database that included 1) HRGC crashes with geographic coordinates, 2) HRGC inventory data, 3) highway and train traffic operations data, and 4) HRGC crash-related hazardous materials release data. These data were obtained from the FRA and spanned across the four states in Region VII, i.e., Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri. Second, different accident prediction models for HRGC crash prediction were compared. These models included the accident prediction and severity (APS) model recommended by the FRA and other commonly used crash prediction models such as general linear regression models with fixed or random effects, zero-inflated models, and hurdle models. The APS model was found the best fit for the HRGC data in Region VII area. Therefore, the APS model was calibrated and validated including the index of hazardous materials released and its impact on the surrounding areas resulting from HRGC crashes. A risk score model was developed to rank the HRGCs. Finally, a prototype HRGC Safety Management System (SMS) was developed. The prototype underwent testing utilizing crash data from Nebraska and was initially implemented specifically for the state of Nebraska. The prototype SMS structure was designed so that it could be adopted by state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in Region VII and across the United States. This project benefits the quality of information provided to decision-makers and enhances the statewide safety management of HRGCs. In particular, the development of this SMS can assist HRGC managers in being proactive to safety and risk situations at HRGCs.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Zhao, Li
  • Khattak, Aemal
  • Farooq, Muhammad Umer
• Publication Date: 2022-11-15

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 91p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash analysis; Hazardous materials; Highway safety; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad safety; Safety management
• Identifier Terms: Federal Railroad Administration Grade Crossing Inventory; Safety Management Systems; U.S. Federal Railroad Administration
• Geographic Terms: Iowa; Kansas; Missouri; Nebraska
• Subject Areas: Highways; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01932857
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 25-1121-0005-004-72, MATC-UNL: 004-72
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747107
• Files: UTC, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 7 2024 8:38AM