Grade Crossings

Denver Train Problems Caused by Tall Buildings: RTD
The A and G Lines use GPS for their crossing gates, they claim that a new software patch and other improvements would resolve those issues and put the G line on schedule.

Freeway's Demise Will Fund Light Rail Grade Crossing Improvements in Pasadena
The final nails have been put in the coffin of the I-710 extension, and now communities like Pasadena are getting ideas about how to spend Measure R funding once reserved for the unwanted freeway.

Drivers: Beware Following GPS Navigation Instructions Too Closely
For the second time at the same railroad crossing in Atherton, California, a motorist followed his GPS navigation onto Caltrain tracks. In both cases, the motorists fled their vehicles before being hit by an oncoming train.
Will GOP Reconsider Redirecting Amtrak Funding After Train Crash?
Republican lawmakers got a first-hand lesson in train safety Wednesday when their chartered Amtrak train hit a trash truck at a grade crossing in Virginia, killing one in the truck. Trump's infrastructure plan redirects Amtrak and transit funding.

Fatalities Mount from Brightline, South Florida's New Higher-Speed Train Service
A 51-year-old bicyclist became the second fatality in the first week of revenue service. It was the fourth fatality since the summer for the diesel train, which operates from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale.

Grade Crossings Racking Up Costs on Denver's New A-Line
In a region with a full calendar of transit construction projects and high hopes for a positive stream of news, a premier and historic project has not gone as smoothly as hoped.
Civil Engineers Release U.S. Infrastructure Scorecard: D+
Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers issues a report on the state of America's infrastructure, extensively cited by the media. This year's report, released March 9, shows no improvement over 2013's, but do check the subcategories

Problems on Denver's New Commuter Rail Lines Threaten Shutdown by Federal Regulators
The problems caused by crossing gates for the new A and B Lines are so serious that the Federal Railroad Administration had threatened to close both lines on Nov. 5. They granted the Regional Transit District a 90-day waiver.
Top Priority for Federal Railroad Administration: Reducing Crossing Crashes
Vehicle crashes at grade crossings have emerged as a top priority for Sarah Feinberg, the new Federal Railroad Administrator. Fatalities at rail crossings in 2014 increased by 15 percent from 2013.
Northern California City Protests Closure Of Popular Rail Crossing
State rail officials decided that the risk posed by Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit trains is too grave to allow an existing grade crossing to remain open, forcing pedestrians and a cyclists out of their way to cross the tracks.
New House Transportation Reauthorization Bill Expected for Mark Up This Week
The current patch bill funding highway and transit spending expires on Oct. 29. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has released a multi-year bill called the Surface Transportation Reauthorization & Reform Act of 2015 (STRR Act).
Three Es of Grade Crossing Safety: Focus on Enforcement
Education, Engineering, and Enforcement. MTA police are taking the last one very seriously at grade crossings they monitor on the Metro-North and LIRR lines since the February crash in Westchester County that killed five passengers and a motorist.
Metro's Latest Light Rail Crash Sparks Rail Safety Debate
The March 28 crash on Metro's extensive light rail system shouldn't have happened. All the safety measures acted as they should have. Could more have been done to prevent the motorist's fateful turn across the tracks as a train approached?
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