SPEED PROFILES AND TIME DELAY AT RAIL-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSINGS

Concern for railroad-highway grade crossing safety prompted the Department of Transportation to develop and implement more effective protective systems. The purpose of the study was to provide a data base reflecting the behavior of motorists in the vicinity of crossings. Crossing parameters of urban/rural, two/four lane, high/low volume and active/passive grade crossing protection were considered in the selection of 26 crossings for instrumentation. At each site, the highway was instrumented at five points in each lane using the Traffic Evaluator System. The resulting magnetic tape permitted determination for each of over 40,000 vehicles at each point, speed, lane changing behavior, headway, wheelbase, and number of axles. Manual inputs were made to the system to indicate vehicles which were required to stop at the crossing, the activation of protective devices, the arrival and departure of trains, and train speed. The data base was organized to verify and improve an existing traffic flow model designed to provide information on motorist speed and time delay at crossings.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with Integrated Systems Inc., Wheaton, Md.
• Corporate Authors:

  Biotechnology, Incorporated

  3027 Rosemary Lane
  Falls Church, VA  United States  22042
• Authors:
  • Sanders, J H
• Publication Date: 1972-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 152 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Crash avoidance systems; Highway traffic; Highways; Information processing; Intersections; Mathematical models; Motor vehicles; Prevention; Railroad grade crossings; Railroads; Rural areas; Safety; Time lag; Traffic delays; Traffic engineering; Traffic flow; Traffic safety; Traffic surveys; Urban areas; Velocity measurement
• Old TRIS Terms: Vehicular traffic
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00047265
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FH-11-7867
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 27 1976 12:00AM