Jeffery E Warner

Guidebook on Pedestrian Crossings of Public Transit Rail Services

This report presents a wide array of engineering treatments to improve pedestrian safety for three types of public transit rail services: light rail, commuter rail, and streetcar. The Guidebook is a resource that addresses key pedestrian safety issues associated with public transit rail services; presents pedestrian crossing issues associated with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Americans with Disabilities Act; summarizes readily available decision flowcharts used to make decisions regarding pedestrian treatments at rail crossings; presents information for 34 pedestrian treatments used at rail crossings, grouped into eight appropriate categories; and includes four case studies that examine specific decisions with respect to pedestrian- rail crossings.

Evaluation of Methodologies in Benefit-Cost and Economic Impact Analyses for Freight Rail Projects

Public investment in privately owned freight rail infrastructure is mutually beneficial if that investment benefits the public. Public–private partnerships are emerging as a viable procurement method to leverage public and private funding or financing in transportation projects to meet the mobility needs of an expanding economy. This paper summarizes the research conducted as part of a larger project to evaluate the state of the practice in methodologies that estimate the benefits generated by freight rail projects. The research examined existing research, case studies, and benefit–cost analyses and economic impact analyses of implemented, approved, and proposed rail projects. Much variation was found in the approaches, definitions, techniques, and level of detail employed. The research defined and characterized projects, developed a generalized benefit classification scheme, and analyzed and evaluated data sources, methodologies, and assumptions on which quantification and monetization of projected benefits were based. The paper draws conclusions about—and recommends improvements in—approaches and methodologies to allow more objective comparisons among projects, with a focus on the parameters underlying the calculation of benefits and performance measurement after the project is completed.

Current Issues in Highway–Rail Grade Crossing Hazard-Ranking and Project Development

This paper reports on a comprehensive research study of hazard-ranking models for prioritization and selection of highway–rail grade crossing improvement projects. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) accident prediction model is the most commonly used hazard-ranking model, although 11 states use state-specific models. Key variables not included in the U.S. DOT model but included in state-specific models may provide useful insight for identifying hazardous crossing locations. Emerging issues, such as the crash modeling approach used by the U.S. DOT model and the application of economic analysis principles in project prioritization, are also discussed. The findings reported in this paper provide a starting point for a broader discussion among all stakeholders in the grade crossing safety community about ways to improve hazard-ranking and project selection for highway–rail grade crossing investments.

Guidebook for Intercity Passenger Rail Service and Development

This report presents the resources, strategies, analytical tools, and techniques for use by public agencies and private entities to support all phases of planning and decision making in the development of intercity passenger rail service at state, regional, or multistate levels. Components of this guide address three major phases required to build and operate passenger rail: planning, design and construction, and operations. Further, it breaks down each primary phase into major required subtasks. With its comprehensive approach, this guide serves as a companion report to other NCRRP series reports: Report 1: Alternative Funding and Financing Mechanisms for Passenger and Freight Rail Projects, and Report 5: Developing Multi-State Institutions to Implement Intercity Passenger Rail Programs. Given that historical roles, funding, and public support for intercity passenger rail service development vary greatly among state and regional entities, a one-size-fits-all approach was not appropriate in developing this report and conducting the research. Instead, the research team approached development of this guide primarily as an effort to create a wide-ranging collection of existing resources related to intercity passenger rail service and development and performed limited new research to cover the most critical areas where existing written guidance did not exist. Gap area topics identified during the research are addressed in detail in the appendices. The Contractor’s Final Report, included as Appendix F, presents additional background information gathered during preparation of the guide: (1) a comprehensive resource matrix listing documents related to intercity passenger rail service and development; (2) generalized results extracted from interviews with public-sector representatives, Amtrak, and freight rail stakeholders; and (3) results of an online survey used to help build components of the guide. Live links in the resource matrix are accessible through the document via the TRB web page.

Examining the Characteristics of Intercity Bus Passengers in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Transportation (DOT) supports a state-wide network of intercity bus services, including five routes operated under the FTA Section 5311 (f) program. To assist with planning activities for the states intercity bus network, the Michigan DOT conducted an onboard survey of intercity bus passengers in the state in spring 2011. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) was retained to analyze the 533 surveys obtained from this effort. This paper presents the results of the TTI analysis of the Michigan DOT spring 2011 intercity bus surveys. The survey results showed that three-quarters of the intercity bus passengers were from urban areas and the remaining one-quarter were from rural areas. Most passengers were traveling for personal reasons such as visits to family or friends or vacation. One-third of the surveyed passengers were from zero-vehicle households. If the bus service were not available, 59% of the passengers would drive, 19% would use an airplane, and 22% would not make the trip. Of zero-vehicle households, 31% of passengers would not make the trip; this result indicated a key role for the intercity bus service in supporting personal mobility. Other demographic groups that benefitted from the service included females and persons with annual household income less than

Evaluation of Grade Crossing Hazard Ranking Models

20,000; both groups had a higher propensity not to make the trip in the absence of the bus service. The findings from the survey suggested that the Michigan intercity bus network was a critical transportation option for residents and visitors in the state and that bus passenger onboard surveys provided valuable information to support planning efforts.

Treatments Used at Pedestrian Crossings of Public Transit Rail Services

Public agencies involved with highway-railroad grade crossing safety must allocate available funding to projects which are considered the most in need for improvements. Mathematical models provide a ranking of hazard risk at crossings and support the project selection process. This paper reports the results of a research study sponsored by the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) examining hazard ranking models for grade crossing project selection. The goal of the research was to provide ORDC, ODOT, and other stakeholders with a better understanding of the grade crossing hazard ranking formulas and other methods used by States to evaluate grade crossing hazards and select locations for hazard elimination projects. A comprehensive literature review along with personal interviews of state DOT personnel from eight states yielded best practices for hazard ranking and project selection. The literature review found that more than three-quarters of states utilize some type of hazard ranking formula or other systematic method for project prioritization. The most commonly-used hazard ranking model in use is the U.S. DOT Accident Prediction Model; however, at least eleven states utilize state-specific hazard ranking models. Detailed evaluation of several different hazard ranking models determined that the existing hazard ranking model used in Ohio, the U.S. DOT Accident Prediction Model, should continue to be used. The research also recommends greater use of sight distance information at crossings and expanding the preliminary list of crossings to be considered in the annual program as enhancements to the existing project selection process used by the ORDC and ODOT.Copyright

Abandoned Freight Rail Corridor Reuse Examples From Texas

There is a natural interaction between pedestrians and public transit rail services. To compile the guidance from other existing resources into one document, and to supplement that guidance with observations of existing pedestrian-rail treatments, the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) sponsored this project to develop a Guidebook for pedestrian crossings of public transit rail services. Several research activities were conducted to develop the Guidebook including conducting a literature review, investigating online transit crash databases, performing online survey of practitioners, and conducting telephone interviews to ask for further details. The key research activity was visiting several public transit rail services crossings to observe the challenges faced by pedestrians at public transit rail services crossings. Site visits were made to Boston, Portland, and Los Angeles. The purpose of pedestrian crossing devices is to make pedestrians aware of the presence of the train and/or to prevent pedestrians from crossing at inappropriate times. Some of the crossing treatments fit within a traffic control device category while others, such as fencing, are part of the infrastructure provided at the crossing. A single crossing treatment or device will not be sufficient; rather a combination of devices is needed to communicate appropriate crossing locations and crossing times.

Examining Intercity Rail Passenger Station Access Patterns

This paper highlights many varied reuse examples for abandoned freight rail corridors within the state of Texas, including for highway development, transit development, recreational trails, and for resumption of freight rail service. Several case studies present these examples. This paper also describes the extent to which abandoned rail lines in the state have been lost through abandonment and discusses the importance of preserving such corridors intact, when possible, for future transportation needs should any become available in the future.Copyright

Preservation and Reuse of Abandoned Rail Corridors: Legal and Policy Issues

Travel on intercity passenger rail is growing in popularity across the U.S. Amtrak, the nation’s intercity passenger rail operator, reported a steady growth in ridership over the last decade; for the 12-month period ending in September 2011, Amtrak carried more than 30 million passengers, a first in the company’s 40-year history. This growth has resulted in widespread interest in developing new intercity passenger rail services or improving existing services with new station facilities and other investments. An issue of interest to the rail planning and policy community revolves around station access patterns, and there are many questions that remain unanswered on this subject. For this paper, these questions include: What is the mode share for passenger trips to and from the rail station? How far do passengers travel to access rail services? Has the market area for intercity passenger rail expanded with increasing ridership, or has the market area remained unchanged during this recent period of growth?Using data obtained from on-board surveys of existing Amtrak passengers in Michigan and Wisconsin, USA, this paper examines the evolving nature of rail passenger station access patterns over the last decade. Specifically, patterns in the overall station access trip mode split, the passengers’ self-reported travel time to and from the rail station, and the spatial distribution of passenger home residential zip codes relative to the rail station are analyzed. Analysis shows that 50 percent of rail passengers reside between 8 and 20 miles from a rail station, depending on the route, and that the market area for selected routes has expanded in recent years. Rail planners can use the findings from this paper to develop new station facility designs or to correct issues that may be present at existing stations. The findings of this paper can also be used to guide the deployment of marketing and promotion of rail services to residents within the “catchment area” of a station.Copyright