1. FRA Crossing Safety & Trespass Prevention Activities
2017 SCORT Annual Meeting
Oakland, CA
September 19, 2017

2. Crossing & Trespass Incidents
Rail-related Fatalities
95% of rail-related fatalities
Crossing fatalities – plateaued since 2009
Trespass fatalities – relatively unchanged
Crossing Fatalities –
Trespass Fatalities –

3. FRA’s Crossing/Trespass Team
FRA is expanding its field crossing team
FRA plans to have a total 32 field positions working on crossing safety issues
9 positions in HQ

4. Access to Data Web Site Improvement – Public access to information
Mobile Devices such as Rail Crossing Locator

5. Learning Tool

6. GX Dash! Visual Crossing Data www.fra.dot.gov/gxdash

12. Trespass Casualty Map http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0619

15. Upcoming Activities State Action Plans
Train Horn/Quiet Zone Notice of Safety Inquiry

16. Ron Ries (202) 493-6285 ron.ries@dot.gov
Questions
Ron Ries
(202)

17. Education Operation Lifesaver Emergency Responders Funding
$1.M in FY 2017
Training, PSA, State Grants
Funding for new learning tools through R&D
Emergency Responders
Operation Lifesaver
Last year FRA provided $1.025M to OLI - $300K to be used on PSA
“Take Safety to Heart” – first target at the high 15 states – 70% of fatalities have occurred in these states
Trainers – 8 Level 2 and 2 Level 3 GX mgrs. Work closely with OL state coordinators on many events such as blitz, officer-on-train,
CMV Drivers
Includes regular commercial motor vehicles and school buses
Swift Trucking – 15,000 new drivers trained a year
Several regional forums on GX safety
Professional Sport Teams
AZ Diamondbacks, Seattle Seahawks – OL Awareness Days, safety announcements, and player PSAs
K-12 Lesson Plans
Boy Scouts – merit badge and jamboree
Milk Carton Public Safety Message – WA, OR, ND

18. Enforcement Focus Area
National Working Group
-Fully operational law enforcement working group
Photo Enforcement
-Automated enforcement at grade crossings pilot
Three (soon to be four) educational first responders videos posted to fra.dot.gov

19. Enhanced Enforcement
Guide to Best Practices and Resources for Grade Crossing Safety
Assists the law enforcement community
Safety tips and resources
Strategies:
Take 10, Save a Life
Write Citations
Consider grade crossings when rerouting highway traffic
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. safety training and educational resources
Ron

20. Program Improvement FRA released $10 M funding for States
New Stakeholder: Nat’l Organizations for Youth Safety

21. Engineering
FRA and FHWA will update the DOT Grade Crossing Handbook to provide guidance:
engineering strategies
risk assessment
protective devices
Traffic Preemption; practical tools for proper use/maintenance

22. Crossing Research

23. Education Operation Lifesaver Emergency Responders Funding
$1.M in FY 2017
Training, PSA, State Grants
Funding for new learning tools through R&D
Emergency Responders
Operation Lifesaver
Last year FRA provided $1.025M to OLI - $300K to be used on PSA
“Take Safety to Heart” – first target at the high 15 states – 70% of fatalities have occurred in these states
Trainers – 8 Level 2 and 2 Level 3 GX mgrs. Work closely with OL state coordinators on many events such as blitz, officer-on-train,
CMV Drivers
Includes regular commercial motor vehicles and school buses
Swift Trucking – 15,000 new drivers trained a year
Several regional forums on GX safety
Professional Sport Teams
AZ Diamondbacks, Seattle Seahawks – OL Awareness Days, safety announcements, and player PSAs
K-12 Lesson Plans
Boy Scouts – merit badge and jamboree
Milk Carton Public Safety Message – WA, OR, ND

24. Enforcement Focus Area
National Working Group
-Fully operational law enforcement working group
Photo Enforcement
-Automated enforcement at grade crossings pilot
Three (soon to be four) educational first responders videos posted to fra.dot.gov

25. Enhanced Enforcement
Guide to Best Practices and Resources for Grade Crossing Safety
Assists the law enforcement community
Safety tips and resources
Strategies:
Take 10, Save a Life
Write Citations
Consider grade crossings when rerouting highway traffic
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. safety training and educational resources
Ron

26. Program Improvement FRA released $10 M funding for States
New Stakeholder: Nat’l Organizations for Youth Safety

27. Engineering
FRA and FHWA will update the DOT Grade Crossing Handbook to provide guidance:
engineering strategies
risk assessment
protective devices
Traffic Preemption; practical tools for proper use/maintenance

28. Trespass Prevention Demographic Study
Much younger than national norms - average age at death of approximately 38.
Railroad fatalities are highly likely to be male (82 percent of the time).
Drugs and/or alcohol are associated with approximately half of all railroad fatalities.

29. Trespass Prevention Future Activities
Pilot trespass abatement study
Research on the use of fencing
New products
Research on the use of low-cost technology
3rd Right-of-Way Fatality and Trespass Prevention Workshop held in 2015

30. Program Improvement FRA released $10 M funding for States
New Stakeholder: Nat’l Organizations for Youth Safety

31. Trends in Fatalities At Grade Crossings, 2000 - 2016
Declining trend downward

32. Collisions, Fatalities,
and Exposure
Rail (million train miles) X Hwy Volume (trillion hwy miles) (=quadrillion)
Orange bars - # collisions X 10
Red line – exposure – quadrillions
Yellow line - # fatalities
Large decrease in collisions & fatalities despite large increase in exposure.
- Total exposure = 1979 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 711,549,906
2001 – Hwy traffic = 2,781,462,000,000
- Total Exposure = 2081 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 728,674,146
2002 – Hwy traffic = 2,856,000,000,000 (2002 data)
- Total Exposure = 2141 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 743,491,689
2003 – Hwy traffic = 2,880,000,000,000 (2003 data)
- Total Exposure = 2282 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 770,258,319
2004 – Hwy traffic = 2,963 billion (2004 data; ))
- Total Exposure = 2344 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 790,491,238
2005 – Hwy traffic = 2,965 billion (2005 data; ))
- Rail traffic = 809,044,888
2006 – Hwy traffic = 3,014 billion (2006 data;
- Total Exposure = 2438 quadrillion
2007 – Hwy traffic = 3031 billion (2007 data;
as of 3/20/12
- Total exposure = 2392 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 789,173,575
2008 – Hwy traffic = 2978 billion (2008 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure =2302 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 772,938,810
2009 – Hwy traffic = 2953 billion (2009 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure = 1984 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 671,946,8061
2010 – Hwy traffic = 2953 billion (2009 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure = 2091 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 708,194,101
2011 – Hwy traffic = 2953 billion (2009 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure = 2129 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 720,503,904
- Rail traffic = 740,164,597
2012 – Hwy traffic = 2946 (2011 data on 4/12/13)
- Total exposure = 2180 quadrillion
2013 – Hwy traffic = 2946 (2011 data on 4/12/13)
- Total exposure = 2202 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 747,444,507
Fatalities
Collisions X 10

33. Trespass Prevention

34. Trespass Casualties
By Year

35. Trespass Fatalities by Age (2014–2016)

36. Trespass & Suicide Fatalities 2012 - 2016

37. Grade Crossing Safety Initiatives and Accomplishments
data, analysis, and research
Tech companies partnerships
Reviewing data trends
engineering
Updating the Grade Crossing Handbook
education
Operation Lifesaver, Inc.
Improving FRA website
enforcement
First responder videos
Law enforcement trade associations engagement
Data, analysis, research: Partnering with four Tech Companies to map crossings; Reviewing data trends)
Engineering: Updating the Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Handbook (Grade Crossing Handbook)
program improvement
Notice of Funding Availability for STEP Grants
Work with states designing safe crossings (HSIPR and TIGER grant funded)

38. Engineering
FRA and FHWA will update the DOT Grade Crossing Handbook to provide guidance:
engineering strategies
risk assessment
protective devices
Traffic Preemption; practical tools for proper use/maintenance

39. Crossing Research

40. Data and Analysis Encourage data-driven, structured approaches
Improving grade crossing location (lat/long)
Enable turn-by-turn mapping technologies
Crossing awareness during trip planning
Analyzing crossing inventory and accident data identifies conditions:
Types of drivers
Behavior

41. Education Operation Lifesaver Emergency Responders Funding
$1.M in FY 2017
Training, PSA, State Grants
Funding for new learning tools through R&D
Emergency Responders
Operation Lifesaver
Last year FRA provided $1.025M to OLI - $300K to be used on PSA
“Take Safety to Heart” – first target at the high 15 states – 70% of fatalities have occurred in these states
Trainers – 8 Level 2 and 2 Level 3 GX mgrs. Work closely with OL state coordinators on many events such as blitz, officer-on-train,
CMV Drivers
Includes regular commercial motor vehicles and school buses
Swift Trucking – 15,000 new drivers trained a year
Several regional forums on GX safety
Professional Sport Teams
AZ Diamondbacks, Seattle Seahawks – OL Awareness Days, safety announcements, and player PSAs
K-12 Lesson Plans
Boy Scouts – merit badge and jamboree
Milk Carton Public Safety Message – WA, OR, ND

42. Enforcement Focus Area
National Working Group
-Fully operational law enforcement working group
Photo Enforcement
-Automated enforcement at grade crossings pilot
Three (soon to be four) educational first responders videos posted to fra.dot.gov

43. Enhanced Enforcement
Guide to Best Practices and Resources for Grade Crossing Safety
Assists the law enforcement community
Safety tips and resources
Strategies:
Take 10, Save a Life
Write Citations
Consider grade crossings when rerouting highway traffic
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. safety training and educational resources
Ron

44. Program Improvement FRA released $10 M funding for States
New Stakeholder: Nat’l Organizations for Youth Safety

45. Engineering
FRA and FHWA will update the DOT Grade Crossing Handbook to provide guidance:
engineering strategies
risk assessment
protective devices
Traffic Preemption; practical tools for proper use/maintenance

46. Trends in Fatalities At Grade Crossings, 2000 - 2016
Declining trend downward

47. Collisions, Fatalities,
and Exposure
Rail (million train miles) X Hwy Volume (trillion hwy miles) (=quadrillion)
Orange bars - # collisions X 10
Red line – exposure – quadrillions
Yellow line - # fatalities
Large decrease in collisions & fatalities despite large increase in exposure.
- Total exposure = 1979 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 711,549,906
2001 – Hwy traffic = 2,781,462,000,000
- Total Exposure = 2081 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 728,674,146
2002 – Hwy traffic = 2,856,000,000,000 (2002 data)
- Total Exposure = 2141 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 743,491,689
2003 – Hwy traffic = 2,880,000,000,000 (2003 data)
- Total Exposure = 2282 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 770,258,319
2004 – Hwy traffic = 2,963 billion (2004 data; ))
- Total Exposure = 2344 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 790,491,238
2005 – Hwy traffic = 2,965 billion (2005 data; ))
- Rail traffic = 809,044,888
2006 – Hwy traffic = 3,014 billion (2006 data;
- Total Exposure = 2438 quadrillion
2007 – Hwy traffic = 3031 billion (2007 data;
as of 3/20/12
- Total exposure = 2392 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 789,173,575
2008 – Hwy traffic = 2978 billion (2008 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure =2302 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 772,938,810
2009 – Hwy traffic = 2953 billion (2009 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure = 1984 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 671,946,8061
2010 – Hwy traffic = 2953 billion (2009 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure = 2091 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 708,194,101
2011 – Hwy traffic = 2953 billion (2009 data on 3/20/12)
- Total exposure = 2129 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 720,503,904
- Rail traffic = 740,164,597
2012 – Hwy traffic = 2946 (2011 data on 4/12/13)
- Total exposure = 2180 quadrillion
2013 – Hwy traffic = 2946 (2011 data on 4/12/13)
- Total exposure = 2202 quadrillion
- Rail traffic = 747,444,507
Fatalities
Collisions X 10

48. Trespass Prevention Demographic Study
Much younger than national norms - average age at death of approximately 38.
Railroad fatalities are highly likely to be male (82 percent of the time).
Drugs and/or alcohol are associated with approximately half of all railroad fatalities.

49. Trespass Prevention Future Activities
Pilot trespass abatement study
Research on the use of fencing
New products
Research on the use of low-cost technology
3rd Right-of-Way Fatality and Trespass Prevention Workshop held in 2015