An Investigation of Safety Problems at Skewed Rail-Highway Grade Crossings

About the report:

Skewed rail-highway grade crossings can be a safety problem because of the restrictions which the angle of crossing may place upon a motorist's ability to detect an oncoming train and because of the potential roadway hazard which the use of flangeways in crossing surfaces poses for cyclists. This study has found that at skewed grade crossings in Virginia where design sight distance requirements cannot be met restrictions have usually been imposed by vegetation, buildings, or embankments and not by the angle of crossing. The investigation of cyclist accidents has shown that these accidents appear to be limited to crossings that intersect the centerline of the highway at an angle of 30° or less. To improve safety at these crossings, it is suggested that cyclist warning signs be installed, a section on skewed crossings hazards be added to the Virginia Motorcycle Operator's Manual, instruction on skewed crossing safety be included in the Department of Education's bicycle safety program, and, at those crossings where cyclist accidents are a frequent occurrence, engineering feasibility studies be conducted on the use of a rubber crossing surface with filler strips in the flangeways.

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