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