The purpose of this research was to develop a practical methodology for computing the lengths of delays and costs of delays to roadway vehicles at rail-highway grade crossings (rhgcs). A practical methodology is defined here as one using only united states department of transportation rail-highway grade crossing inventory (inventory) data or other data known to be readily available to agencies responsible for rhgcs. The methodology developed makes use of inventory data and a common deterministic delay model. Default values were developed for train length, diurnal distribution of roadway traffic, directional distribution of roadway traffic, and roadway speed limit. Costs were computed through the use of a procedure developed by the federal highway administration in 1980. The methodology was applied to 1985 conditions for all public rhgcs in maryland. The results of this application indicate that annual delay costs at rhgcs cover a widerange, from a minimum of $0 to a maximum of $407, 441. Coparison ofannual delay costs and annual accident costs indicate that accidentcosts are generally higher than delay costs. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1262, Planning, management and economic analysis 1990.
Abstract