skip to main content
UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Main Menu
Donate Now Directory myUTRGV

You are here:

Research Operations Drivers’ Perceptions of Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Their Behavior

University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) College of Engineering and Computer Science

  • Home
  • About
    • Message from Director
    • Mission
    • Visitor Information
  • News and Media
    • Program News
    • Newsletters and Stories
    • Photo Galleries
      • Gallery 2022
      • Gallery 2019
      • Gallery 2018
      • Gallery 2017
      • Gallery 2016
      • Gallery 2015
      • Gallery 2014
    • Video Galleries
  • Education and Outreach
    • Summer Experiences - College and Professionals
      • REU
      • RET
    • Summer Camps (K-12)
      • UTCRS Summer Camps
      • TESEP
    • Educator Resources
      • Borrowing Materials
      • STEM Curriculum
      • UTCRS Learning Module
    • Community Outreach
  • Workforce Development
    • Research Assistantships
    • DDETFP Fellowship
    • Professional Student Training
    • Professional Workshops
      • 2022 STEM Teacher National Workshop
      • 2019 STEM Teacher National Workshop
      • 2018 STEM Teacher National Workshop
      • 2017 STEM Teacher National Workshop
      • 2016 STEM Teacher National Workshop
    • Internships
      • UTRGV High Scholars Summer Program
      • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
  • Research
    • Mechanical
    • Operations
    • Infrastructure
    • Reports
    • Call for Proposals
  • Technology Transfer
    • Journal Articles
    • Conference Papers
    • Reports and Presentations
    • Theses and Dissertations
    • Educational Scholarship
    • Products
      • Bearing Lubricant Models
      • Conductive Pad
      • Single Bearing Tester
      • Four Bearing Tester
  • Key Personnel
    • Executive Officers
    • Executive Committee
    • Advisory Board
    • UTCRS Organizational Chart
University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS)

Research - Related Links

  • Mechanical
    • Mechanical 2017
  • Operations
  • Infrastructure
  • Reports
  • Call for Proposals

Contact Us

Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS)
Engineering Portable
EPOB4 1.100
Email: railwaysafety@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 665-8878
Fax: (956) 665-8879
Facebook Twitter Youtube LinkedIn

Quick Links

USDOT FRA OST-R UTCs CUTC AAR/TTCI

Highway-Rail Crossing Safety Improvement by Diverting Motorists to Alternate Routes

University  University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)
Principal Investigators  Aemal Khattak, Ph.D., Civil Engineering (PI)
PI Contact Information  262D Whittier Research Center
P.O. Box 830851
Lincoln, NE 68583-0851
Office (402) 472-8126
akhattak2@unl.edu
Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization)  UTCRS (US DOT UTC Program): $99,996
NE Department of Roads: $49,998
Total Project Cost  $149,994
Agency ID or Contract Number  DTRT13-G-UTC59
Start and End Dates July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018
Brief Description of Research Project  Integration of an advanced train detection system with a highway traveler information system is needed at highway rail grade crossings (HRGCs) to improve operational efficiency and safety. Diversion of highway traffic to alternate routes that use grade-separated crossings may reduce crash exposure at HRGCs and thereby improve safety. However, research on specific applications and effects of such technologies at HRGCs has not fully been explored. Train Occupancy Time Estimation System (TOTES) was developed in this study to detect train movements, estimate its speed and size, calculate the amount of expected delay that motorists may likely experience, and inform the motorists of the delay. Detailed system components, relevant equations for required variables, and system information logic flow are presented. With a field test of the modified version for the originally developed system, it was revealed that the system significantly improved the safety at a study HRGC by reducing unsafe motorist maneuvers such as crossing the solid white line and illegal left turns. Furthermore, the use of a variable message sign was found to affect the motorists’ decision to take an alternate route to avoid delay due to the presence of a train at a crossing. This study provides evidence that safety may be improved at HRGCs by deploying systems such as TOTES.
Keywords Motorist information, rail crossing safety, variable message signs
Describe Implementation of Research Outcomes (or why not implemented) Place Any Photos Here See Report.
Impacts/Benefits of Implementation (actual, not anticipated) See Report.
Report http://www.utrgv.edu/railwaysafety/_files/documents/research/operations/utcrs_khattak_highway-rail-crossing-safety-improvement_final-report.pdf
Project Website http://www.utrgv.edu/railwaysafety/research/operations/highway-rail-crossing-safety-diverting-motorists/index.htm
Jump to Top

UTRGV

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • CARES, CRRSAA and ARP Reporting
  • Site Policies
  • Contact UTRGV
  • Required Links
  • Fraud Reporting
  • Senate Bill 18 Reporting
  • UTRGV Careers
  • Clery Act Reports
  • Web Accessibility
  • Mental Health Resources
  • Sexual Misconduct Policy
  • Reporting Sexual Misconduct