Comprehensive Evaluation of Safety and Operational Issues at Florida’s Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Located in Rural Areas

Rail transportation is one of the important transportation modes in Florida for movement of people and cargoes. Highway-rail grade crossings, where railroad segments intersect highways at the same elevation, pose safety concerns due to the existing risk of collisions between passing highway vehicles and approaching trains. Florida is one of the states that experience a significant number of accidents at highway-rail grade crossings not only in urban areas but in rural areas as well. Various interventions are typically considered to improve safety and operations at highway rail grade crossings, including crossing closures, countermeasures, and grade separations. Closure of crossings to highway traffic can be an effective alternative but may be opposed by communities due to longer alternative routes. Countermeasures, such as flashing lights, gates, and median barriers, can improve safety as well. However, all hazardous crossings cannot be upgraded with the desired countermeasures due to the limited budget. Grade separations will completely eliminate the risk of collisions between trains and highway vehicles but will require million-dollar investments. Since the crossing safety improvement program has a limited budget, urban crossings are often prioritized for upgrading, while safety and operational issues at rural crossings are often overlooked. 

This project aims to perform a detailed analysis of safety and operational issues at rural highway-rail grade crossings located in the State of Florida. The records from the crossing inventory database, which is maintained by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), will be investigated to determine the characteristics of rural highway-rail grade crossings that may cause their vulnerability to accidents. Moreover, the accident data available through the FRA database will be evaluated as well to identify the common features of collisions between passing highway vehicles and approaching trains in rural areas of Florida. Last but not least, customized statistical models will be developed and applied for the collected data to determine statistically significant factors that are likely to cause accidents at rural highway-rail grade crossings in Florida. The outcomes of this research will be instrumental to decision-makers and practitioners, so that they can better understand the causes behind highway-rail grade crossing accidents in rural areas and take the appropriate initiatives. Along with improving safety of highway and rail users, this research will also promote continuity of passenger and freight flows across the State of Florida, including its rural areas, and facilitate the state economic development.