STATE CROSSING SAFETY PROGRAMS & FEDERAL CROSSING SAFETY FUNDING

1. STATE CROSSING SAFETY • PROGRAMS & FEDERAL • CROSSING SAFETY FUNDING • CROSSINGS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY SESSION • AASHTO – SCORT MEETING • March 14, 2011 – Washington, DC • Paul C. Worley, CPM • Director – Engineering & Safety • NCDOT Rail Division

2. Section 130 Program • Success Since 1974 • Over 250K public and private crossings in US • About $3B Obligated Historically • Prevented 10,500+ Fatalities & • 51,000+ Nonfatal Injuries • Administered by FHWA Through States • Supported by AASHTO-AAR

3. Section 130 Program • AASHTO – Authorization Policy # VI. 7 • Continue and expand funding for the Section 130 Grade Crossing Program and institute measures to expedite the process.

4. Section 130 Program • Concerns • Reauthorization – Eliminates Categories • Competition with Highway Safety Needs – Based on Fatalities Alone • Interest by Railroads to Use for Maintenance • Timely Obligation of Funds

5. Section 130 Program • Timely Obligation of Funds • How Does S-130 Compare with Other Federal-Aid Safety Programs? • State & Railroad Agreement; Design & Construction (12-18 Months) Process Spans Fiscal Year. • Priority Lists or Corridor Plans Must Be Developed Based on Available Funding.

6. Section 130 Program • Timely Obligation of Funds Depends • State & Railroad Ability to Complete PE and Construction • Acceptance by Local Road Authorities • NEPA Clearances – Historic Issues • Sometimes Railroad Final Billing is Slow to Close Due to Audit, etc.

7. State Crossing Safety Programs Not Always Found in DOT Rail Offices or Divisions Rather Found In: Public Utility Commissions Highway Divisions – Traffic Engineering/Safety

8. Opportunities for Coordination • DOT Rail Improvement Programs • Freight & Passenger • Crossing Safety Efforts • Signals • Inventory • Closures

9. Opportunities for Coordination • Finding DOT Rail/Highway Win-Win’s • Highway Preconstruction Scoping • Transportation Planning • Long-Range Rail Planning • Rail Revitalization • HSR & Passenger Improvements

10. Crossing Safety Projects – A Portal Into the Rail Project Process • Master Preliminary Engineering Agreements • Master Construction Agreements • Can be built upon and/or used to implement • rail improvement projects

11. Importance of Federal Crossing Safety Funds to OLI • OLI Set Aside from S-130 • Grants to State Programs • National Programs/Strategies • Saving Lives & Preventing Injuries • 3 E’s • Education, Enforcement, Engineering

12. Crossing Policy Development Opportunities • States Participating In: • Regional Crossing Workshops • NCUTCD Technical Committee • AREMA Committee 36 – Signals

13. Comprehensive Costs of Highway/Rail At-Grade Crossing Crashes • TRB Launches NCHRP 08-85 • Different Approach to Program Benefits • Provides $350,000 in • Funding • 18-Month Study

14. Comprehensive Costs of Highway/Rail At-Grade Crossing Crashes • NCHRP 08-85 Study Objectives/Tasks • Review literature & survey practices. • Identify categories of collision costs. • Develop cost-forecasting model. • After webinar workshop, refine models. • Prepare final report & disseminate.

15. Status of NCHRP 08-85 • Documents Moving Through TRB Office of Contracts & Grants • Kick-Off Teleconference with Panel in Early April • Complete October 2012

16. To Conclude • Know your crossing safety counterparts and collaborate. • Look for synergies between rail planning, passenger, and rail • safety programs. • Funding and projects are • often the foundation • of railroad relationships.