humped crossings & section 130 updates · kelly morton, p.e. fhwa office of safety programs...

Humped Crossings &Section 130 Updates

AASHTO Council on Rail Transportation Annual Meeting

September 17, 2019

Hartford, CT

Kelly Morton, FHWA

Humped Crossings Update

BackgroundFreight Train collision with a Charter Motorcoach on CSX Railroad Crossing in Biloxi, Mississippi on March 7, 2017

NTSB Accident Report, HAR 1801

www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/HAR1801.aspx

FRA Accident Investigation Report HQ-2017-1192

www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L19704#p1_z5_gD_kHQ-2017-1192

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NTSB Recommendations

• Several to FHWA, FRA, FMCSA, State DOT, City, AASHTO, AREMA, AAR, Class I Railroads

• Guidance on low ground clearance and vehicle exclusion signs in the MUTCD

• Criteria when to close, reconstruct or mitigate a humped crossing and incorporate into Handbook

• Monitor and document incidents

• Communicate maintenance activities effecting track elevation

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Actions

• FHWA, FRA, FMCSA, FTA Working Group

• FRA & FHWA Memo on Humped Crossings in June, 2017

• FRA Letters to each State DOT CEO in April, 2019

• Working group is collecting available resources, determining best methods for disseminating information and working with additional partners such as AASHTO, AREMA, NACE, APTA, OLI

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www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/rail-crossing/7-steps-safety-highway-rail-grade-crossings

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Section 130 UpdatesWhat’s New & Coming Soon!

Federal Aid Essential Video—Section 130 Program

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials/catmod.cfm?id=123

FHWA Railway-Highway Crossings Program (Section 130) Webpage http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/xings/

Joint Webinars

• FHWA & FRA jointly sponsored

• Quarterly

• Discuss highway-rail grade crossing issues, tools and strategies to enhance safety

• Previous webinar recordings available at: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/xings/

• Next Joint Webinar—TBD

Highway-Railway

Grade Crossing

Action Plan and

Project

Prioritization

Noteworthy

Practices Guide,FHWA-FRA Joint

Project, published

November, 2016

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/xings/fhwasa16075/

Noteworthy Practices

Noteworthy Practices addressing Rail-Highway Crossing Safetyhttps://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/xings/

• Highway-Rail Crossing Handbook, Third Edition

• NHI Training Course Updates

• National Evaluation of Section 130 Prorgram

Coming Soon

Upcoming MUTCD Compliance Dates

December 31, 2019:

1. Installation of Crossbuck Assemblies at

passive crossings (this is usually accomplished

by the addition of a YIELD sign, but occasionally

when justified is accomplished by the addition of

a STOP sign)

2. Installation of white retroreflective strips on the

fronts of Crossbuck support posts and on the backs of Crossbuck sign blades

https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009r1r2/pdf_index.htm

Thank you!

Kelly Morton, P.E.FHWA Office of Safety Programs

kelly.morton@dot.gov602-382-8976