After the tragic 1995 collision between a school bus and a commuter train outside of Chicago, Illinois, much attention has been given to the subject of highway-rail grade crossing safety. The 1988 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) addresses traffic signal preemption for intersections near grade crossings as well as the electrical circuit or “interconnection” that makes traffic signal preemption possible. The objective of this study is to examine the basic interconnection circuit, as defined in the MUTCD, and explore some of its limitations. Possible improvements to the basic interconnection circuit are presented and evaluated.
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References
1.
Implementation Report of the USDOT Grade Crossing Safety Task Force: A Report to Secretary Rodney E. Slater. FHWA-SA-97-085, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C., 1997.
2.
Traffic Control Systems. NEMA Standards Publication TS 1-1975, National Electrical Manufacturers Association, 1975.
3.
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways. FHWA-SA-89-006, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C., 1988.
4.
Notice of Proposed Amendments to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. FHWA Docket 96.47, Parts III, IV, and VIII, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C., 1996.
5.
Rules, Standards, and Instructions Governing the Installation, Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair of Signal and Train Control Systems, Devices, and Appliances. Code of Federal Regulations. Title 49, Part 236, Section 206. Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., 1996.
