scholarly journals Effect of Dynamic Envelope Pavement Markings on Vehicle Driver Behavior at a Highway-Rail Grade Crossing

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Gabree ◽  
Stephanie Chase ◽  
Marco daSilva
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Pavement Markings ◽  
Florida Department ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Grade Crossing ◽  
Grade Crossings ◽  
Stop Line

The United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), under the direction of the USDOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D), recently completed a study on the use of pavement markings to reduce instances of vehicles stopping on the tracks at grade crossings. Specifically, the study evaluated the effectiveness of pavement markings placed within the dynamic envelope, the region between and immediately adjacent to the tracks at a grade crossing, and new corresponding signage at the Commercial Boulevard grade crossing (ID# 628186E) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The goal of this research study was to gain an understanding of the effect of dynamic envelope pavement markings and accompanying signage on driver’s not stopping while traversing the tracks. The addition of the dynamic envelope markings and signage is intended to make this area more pronounced, resulting in fewer motorists entering the dynamic envelope if they are unable to exit the other side. Researchers coded driver stopping behavior at this crossing before and after the surface treatments were installed. Vehicles were coded as having stopped in one of four zones: behind the stop line and gate arm (Zone 1), past the stop line but before the tracks (Zone 2), on the tracks (Zone 3), or immediately after the tracks (Zone 4). Stopping in Zone 3 is considered to be the most dangerous behavior that a driver could perform, while stopping in Zone 1 is the safest. The goal of the added markings and signage is to reduce the number of vehicles which come to a stop within the dynamic envelope, thus reducing the possibility that a vehicle is present on the tracks when a train approaches resulting in a collision. The addition of the dynamic envelope pavement markings and modified signage resulted in a statistically significant change in driver stopping behavior. Specifically, the pavement markings and signage reduced the proportion of vehicles that stopped in Zone 3, resulting in a 45% reduction in vehicles stopped in Zone 3 for eastbound vehicles and 14% for westbound vehicles. They also increased the proportion of vehicles stopping in Zone 1, which is the safest behavior a driver can perform (9% increase for eastbound and 6% increase for westbound). Additionally, fewer vehicles were found to stop in both Zone 2 and Zone 4, which are both moderately dangerous. Based on these results, the Florida Department of Transportation is exploring the use of this safety treatment at additional grade crossings with a high risk for unsafe vehicle stopping behavior.

Illinois High-Speed Rail Four-Quadrant Gate Reliability Assessment

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Hellman ◽  
Tashi Ngamdung
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Vehicle Detection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
United States Department ◽  
High Speed Rail ◽  
Grade Crossings ◽  
Four Quadrant ◽  
The Impact

The United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), under the direction of the USDOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (ORD), conducted a reliability analysis of the four-quadrant gate/vehicle detection equipment installed on the potential high-speed rail (HSR) corridor between Chicago and St Louis. A total of 69 highway-rail grade crossings on a 121-mile (195 km) segment of the 280-mile corridor were equipped with four-quadrant gates and inductive loop vehicle detection technology. This segment, between Mazonia and Springfield Illinois, may eventually carry passenger trains at speeds up to 110 mph (177 km/h), including at many of the highway-rail grade crossings. The analysis was based on maintenance records obtained from the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), the owner and operator of the rail line. The results were used to assess the impact of the equipment reliability on the proposed HSR timetable. The Volpe Center study showed that the total average delay to the five scheduled daily high-speed passenger roundtrips was an estimated 10.5 minutes, or approximately one minute per train. Overall, extensive analysis of the trouble ticket data showed that the four-quadrant gate and vehicle detection equipment had a minimal direct impact on the frequency and duration of grade crossing malfunctions.

Development and Implementation of a Pavement Marking Management System in Florida

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (12) ◽  
pp. 209-219
Author(s):  
Bouzid Choubane ◽  
Joshua Sevearance ◽  
Charles Holzschuher ◽  
James Fletcher ◽  
Chieh (Ross) Wang
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Handheld Devices ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Pavement Markings ◽  
Lighting Conditions ◽  
Florida Department ◽  
Roadway Safety ◽  
Application Techniques ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Pavement Marking

The visibility of pavement markings is an important aspect of a safe transportation system as the markings convey vital roadway warnings and guidance information to the traveling public. Therefore, it is beneficial to maintain acceptable visibility levels of markings on pavements under all weather and lighting conditions. To ensure the intended in-service visibility level is adequately maintained, the reflectivity must be monitored and quantified accordingly. Historically, visibility or retroreflectivity of in-service pavement markings has been measured with handheld devices and visual inspections. However, visual surveys are considered subjective and the handheld measurements are tedious and potentially hazardous. Consequently, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has focused on the use of a non-contact technology capable of assessing pavement markings continuously at highway speeds with improved safety and efficiency. The use of mobile technology for measuring reflectivity has allowed FDOT to develop and, subsequently, implement a Pavement Marking Management System (PMMS) to improve the safety and nighttime visibility of its roadways. Implementation of such a system provides an efficient and less subjective methodology to identify conditions that are detrimental to roadway safety, and strategize mitigating solutions including the selection of appropriate materials and application techniques. The system will ultimately result in an effective use of state funds while ensuring the safety of the traveling public. This paper presents a description of the Florida Pavement Markings Management System and its subsequent implementation including FDOT’s effort to ensure the quality, consistency, repeatability, and accessibility of statewide pavement marking retroreflectivity data.

Driver Behavior Analysis Using Vehicle Safety Systems’ Field Operational Test Data

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tashi Ngamdung ◽  
Marco daSilva
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Older Drivers ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Operational Test ◽  
Field Operational Test ◽  
Grade Crossing ◽  
Grade Crossings

The United States Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), under the direction of the US DOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D), is leveraging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored Integrated Vehicle Based Safety System (IVBSS) Light Vehicle (LV) Field Operational Test (FOT) to collect and analyze drivers’ activities at or on approach to highway-rail grade crossings. Grade crossings in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio were cross-referenced with IVBSS LV FOT research vehicle location to identify the time research vehicles were present at a crossing. The IVBSS LV FOT included 108 participants that took a total of 22,656 trips. Of the 22,656 total trips, 3,137 trips included a total of 4,215 grade crossing events. The analysis was based of drivers’ activities at the 4,215 grade crossing events. Both looking behavior and distractions did not significantly differ based on gender. However when analyzed per age-group, younger drivers (between 20 to 30 years old) were significantly more likely to be distracted than middle-aged drivers (between 40 to 50 years old) or older drivers (between 60 to 70 years old). For looking behavior, the data revealed that older drivers are more likely to look at least one way at or on approach to highway-rail crossing (43.8 percent exhibited this behavior) than either middle-aged drivers (35.0 percent exhibited this behavior) or younger drivers (25.3 percent exhibited this behavior).

Plan of Action To Reduce Vehicle-Train Crashes in Alabama

1998 ◽  
Vol 1648 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-18
Author(s):  
Brian L. Bowman ◽  
Kristen Stinson ◽  
Cecil Colson
Keyword(s):  
Action Plan ◽  
The State ◽  
Final Report ◽  
Judicial Reform ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Legislative Action ◽  
Intersection Safety ◽  
Grade Crossing ◽  
Grade Crossings ◽  
Comprehensive Study

In April 1996, the state of Alabama Legislature, through the passage of Act 503, directed the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to conduct a comprehensive study of rail-highway grade crossings in the state and recommend methods to drastically reduce the number of vehicle-train crashes. Senate Act 503 states: “… That the Alabama Department of Transportation is directed to conduct a comprehensive study of the rail/highway grade crossings in the state and present a plan to this body recommending methods to dramatically reduce vehicle/train accidents by the first day of the 1997 Regular Session.” In response to Act 503, the Multimodal Bureau of ALDOT developed an Action Plan that compared Alabama’s grade crossing crash experience with the experience of the national and southeastern states to identify the prevalent characteristics, identified the perceived needs of safety and railroad professionals required to decrease vehicle-train crashes and crash severity, and compiled a list of recommendations and activities required for implementation. The activities and results of the Act 503 study documented in the final report are summarized (1). It discusses the engineering, economic, educational, enforcement, and emotional impediments to increasing rail-highway intersection safety and presents a broad range of realistic countermeasures. These countermeasures include legislative action; judicial reform; and enforcement, economic, and education initiatives.

A Method to Verify Railroad Interconnect With Highway Traffic Signal Systems

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Moore ◽  
Paul Zebell ◽  
Peter Koonce ◽  
Jon Meusch
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Signal ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Clearance Time ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
Signal Systems ◽  
Grade Crossing ◽  
Grade Crossings ◽  
State And Local

In response to increasing concern about railroad grade crossing safety, the Federal Railroad Administration and Department of Transportation issued Safety Advisory 2010-02 recommending in part “...that railroads conduct comprehensive joint inspections of highway traffic signal pre-emption interconnection with State and local highway authorities...” 2010-02 also recommends recording devices at interconnected highway-rail grade crossings. This paper addresses a method to facilitate these goals by enabling the highway authority to independently verify that rail equipment is functioning properly, and just as importantly, enabling the railroad to independently verify that the highway traffic signal equipment is providing adequate clearance time in advance of the arrival of the train in the crossing. The method involves adding two circuits between the rail equipment and the traffic signal equipment: a crossing island circuit, and a start of the traffic clearance phase indicator from the traffic signal to the rail equipment. This system has been implemented at two intersections in Portland, Oregon, with plans for further implementation.

Repeatability and Reproducibility of Mobile Retroreflectivity Units for Measurement of Pavement Markings

2013 ◽  
Vol 2337 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bouzid Choubane ◽  
Joshua Sevearance ◽  
Hyung Suk Lee ◽  
Patrick Upshaw ◽  
James Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Handheld Devices ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Handheld Device ◽  
Pavement Markings ◽  
Florida Department ◽  
Reference Device ◽  
Efficient Alternative ◽  
Repeatability And Reproducibility ◽  
Pavement Marking

The Florida Department of Transportation has historically used a combination of handheld devices and visual surveys to evaluate the retroreflectivity of pavement markings. However, visual surveys have the inherent limitations of operator bias, while the use of a handheld device is slow and labor intensive and presents safety hazards. Many highway agencies have recognized that a mobile retroreflectivity unit (MRU) may be a safer and more efficient alternative to the handheld retroreflectometers. Because the measurement process relies on the operator-driven instrument, a level of uncertainty is always a concern in evaluating pavement markings with the MRU. This research was aimed at assessing the precision and bias of the MRU while using the handheld retroreflectometer as a reference device. Ten 1.0-mi-long field sites were selected to include various pavement surface types and pavement marking materials (paints and thermoplastics). The results indicated that, when compared with the handheld retroreflectometers, the MRU demonstrated no statistical differences or bias at a 95% confidence level for the retroreflectivity values ranging between 200 and 800 mcd/m2/lux. In addition, it was determined that the retroreflectivity values from two properly conducted tests using a single MRU on the same pavement marking should not differ by more than 7.8%, and when different MRUs were used on the same pavement marking, the retroreflectivity values should not differ by more than 13.3%. This paper presents a description of the testing program, the data collection effort, and the subsequent analyses and findings.

Using Alternate Technologies and Advancements Through Special Permits, Waivers, and Other Technology Notifications

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Y. Lee ◽  
M. “Buddy” Secor
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Hazardous Materials ◽  
The United States ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Federal Regulations ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
States Department ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
Pipeline Safety

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety recognizes there may be technologies and advancements not currently allowed by the federal regulations that can improve safety, and has processes to allow such technologies and advancements. These processes include Special Permits, State Waivers, and Other Technology Notifications. This paper describes observations and trends related to PHMSA’s accumulated data from the last few decades, and includes a summary of new technologies and innovative solutions that are not currently covered in codified standards or regulations.1

scholarly journals Exploring the Effects of Signs’ Design and In-Vehicle Audio Warning on Driver Behavior at Flashing-Light-Controlled Grade Crossings: A Driving Simulator-Based Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingsi Yang ◽  
Xuedong Yan ◽  
Qingwan Xue ◽  
Xiaomeng Li ◽  
Ke Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Control ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Complex Environment ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Pavement Markings ◽  
Crossing Time ◽  
Grade Crossing ◽  
Flashing Light ◽  
Grade Crossings

The complex environment at grade crossings and the severe collision consequences give rise to the concern of safety condition at crossings among traffic control authorities. Optimizing conventional devices and applying emerging technologies are worthwhile measures to improve the safety conditions at grade crossings. In this study, a flashing-light running (FLR) warning system was proposed to reduce crossing violation and improve performances of drivers at flashing-light-controlled grade crossings (FLCGCs). Forty-four fully licensed drivers aged between 30 and 48 years participated in a driving simulator study to investigate the efficacy of two countermeasures of the system: proposed design of signs and pavement markings (PSM) for grade crossing, and two-stage in-vehicle audio warning (IVAW) technology. A range of flashing light trigger timing and two foggy conditions were designed in this experiment to test the system applicability. Drivers’ gender and vocation were considered as well to examine drivers’ adaptation to the new proposed system. Five variables were collected and analyzed in this study to investigate the effectiveness of the system, i.e., drivers’ compliance, approaching mean speed, brake reaction time, deceleration, and red-to-crossing time. Results showed that drivers’ driving performances were improved in both PSM only condition and PSM + W condition. The FLR warning system could eliminate the negative effects of foggy weather and reduce gender differences in driver behaviors to some extent. These findings suggested that the FLR warning system has a potential to reduce the probability of grade crossing collisions.

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