What is a Railroad Grade Crossing?
An at-level grade crossing is an intersection, at the same level, where a road used by cars, trucks and buses crosses a railway line.
We see them every day. We cross them every day, often barely even noticing that we are intruding into a world that is much more powerful and destructive than our own.
On those few occasions when we cross railroad tracks, consciously aware that a train may approach, how often are we lulled into a cocoon of safety, presuming that we are protected by the crossing gates?
Crossing gates are the best active defense for a motorist against a collision with an oncoming train. But, how many are there?
At last count*, there are 130,566 at-grade crossings on public roads in the United States. Of these, only 44,128 are protected by Crossing Gates and lights. Only 33.8%, just one-third. That doesn’t even take into account the 81,246 private and pedestrian at-grade crossings, few of which are gated.
What of the others? Some 20,579 have flashing lights alone. Of the
rest, 47,502 are “protected” only by a “crossbuck” (the white “X”
shaped sign with the words “Railroad Crossing”), and 11,625 with a
Stop Sign. Of the remainder, 3,901 crossings have “Special Warnings”,
Highway Signals, bells, wig-wag signals or some other device.
Finally, 2,831 crossings have "unknown" protection, which
generally means no protection, not even a sign.
* Federal Railroad Administration statistics as of December 31, 2010, published April, 2012.
Please click on each picture
These four pictures are all of the same Norfolk Southern Crossing at Locust Street, Walton, Kentucky. The first two were taken a month after Christy's accident. It is interesting to note that, as overgrown and sight obstructed as the crossing most certainly is in these photos, we are told that it was worse on the day of the accident. The white X on the pavement appeared only after the accident. We understand that some of the brush obstructing the crossing and the orange RXR traffic sign was cut after the accident.
The last two pictures were taken in May, 2005 after the installation of crossing gates and lights was completed and the system was being tested. On that day Emily Jansen Payne, Cynthia Childs, Gregory Male, a photographer and a sound man were filming scenes for the documentary CROSSINGS. The railroad installation crew would not talk to us.
