Evaluating the Effects of Rail Preemption Strategies on Highway Safety and Operations
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Abstract
Previous research related to signal preemption near highway-rail grade crossings
has emphasized safety considerations, which are paramount due to the severity of potential
train-vehicle collisions. The purpose of this research was to quantify the safety and
efficiency implications of several common preemption strategies using the conditions in a
small urban context. The research evaluates several important characteristics of rail
preemption, including track clearance time, advance preempt time, and dwell cycle
strategy, particularly with regard to surface street operational efficiency, that current traffic
engineering practice do not adequately address. The context and preemption strategies were
modeled using simulation software VISSIM. The results identified two separate and
potentially serious safety issues related to the interaction of advance preempt time, track
clearance time, and existence of four-quadrant gates at railroad crossing. In addition, the
research also highlighted the negative effect of excessive track clearance time and dwell
cycle on adjacent surface street operations.