6 Railroad Crossings
Applying ITS at highway-rail intersections is a hot topic at US DOT, and there are currently seven active projects being supported. While most of the projects are focused on urban areas, 2 are focused on rural areas. Both of the rural projects are being conducted in Minnesota and involve 3 different applications of rural ITS technologies. 11
6.1 At-Grade Crossing Warning Systems
6.1.1 Minnesota Guidestar – In-Vehicle Warning System
Information on the Minnesota In-Vehicle Warning System was obtained from a report entitled The Use of ITS to Improve Safety and Mobility at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings, 11 and the system evaluation report.12
Impetus for the Activity
Development of this system began in 1995 when Minnesota DOT entered into a partnership with 3M and Dynamic Vehicle Safety Systems (DVSS) to develop and test an in-vehicle warning system for railroad crossings.
Criteria for System Selection
The system was developed by the project partners.
Description of the System
The system was installed on 29 school buses and at five crossings in rural Glencoe, Minnesota and was operational during the 1997/98 school year. The components of the system included:
- Existing train detection equipment;
- Crossing transmitters;
- Roadside antenna signs;
- Vehicle antenna plates;
- Vehicle receiver;
- In-vehicle display.
The system has a trackside unit that receives a signal from the railroad’s existing train detection system and transmits that signal to the sign mounted antenna. The signal is received by the vehicle antenna when it comes within range, and the DVSS-developed in-vehicle display alerts the driver with both audible and visual signals. In addition to alerting the driver to the presence of a train, the system also tells the driver their proximity to the at-grade railroad crossing.
System Performance
Little information was available on the performance of the system. It does appear that there were some component calibration issues.
System Effectiveness Evaluation
A formal evaluation of the system was conducted. Because of the limited evaluation period, the evaluation focused on surveys and interviews with the bus drivers and railroad personnel. The results indicate that the system is effective in warning bus drivers of the location of at-grade rail crossings and train presence. Eighty percent of drivers thought that the system provided valuable warning information, but that it did not affect their driving behavior. Fifteen percent of drivers said that the system affected their driving behavior. The majority of drivers felt that the in-vehicle signing system should be installed on their vehicles permanently.