Hanson helps
Illinois and Indiana make rail crossings safer
 Learn
how these two states are keeping track of their railroad crossings
Illinois
had the highest number of fatalities resulting from highway-rail
grade crossing collisions nationwide while Indiana ranked third,
according to statistics released by the
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in 1999.
Officials
in Illinois and Indiana foresee that information gathered during
studies of public railroad grade crossings and separations in their
states will help them improve the safety of those crossings, meaning
safer travel for motorists.
The Indiana Department
of Transportation recently hired Hanson to assist in completing
an inventory of the state's more than 10,000 at-grade and grade-separated
rail-highway intersections. This inventory is nearly identical to
one Hanson completed for the
Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) in 2001.
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ICC calls for statewide study
The
ICC and the
Illinois Department of Transportation teamed up to initiate
a statewide grade crossing and grade separation inventory project
that included more than 12,000 public at-grade crossings and grade
separations across Illinois. The project also included railroad/highway
viaducts and subways in Chicago, except for those owned by the Chicago
Transit Authority and METRA.
The
goal of the ICC project was to identify, verify, measure, photograph
and compile data for Illinois' public grade crossings and grade
separations. This involved field inventories, data input, digital
photographs, CADD sketches and database design. By addressing how
approaches, crossings and signals were maintained and operated,
the ICC examined ways to improve its communications and operations
regarding crossing safety, including the creation of a database
containing information about the state's crossings.
Preparation begins, parameters set
To
prepare for the ICC project, Hanson assembled a team of transportation
and railroad engineers, land surveyors and data management specialists.
Gary Rogers, manager of surveys for Hanson, headed up this team.
The team included five subconsultants-an aerial mapping company;
a database and GIS specialist firm; two disadvantaged business enterprise
firms; and another engineering company. The companies were spread
out strategically around the state to reduce travel time between
the sites.
For
Rogers, who has spent 25 years working in the surveying field, the
ICC project was multifaceted.
"The
ICC project encompassed the entire state of Illinois. We had to
be prepared to meet the geographic and technological challenges
associated with a project of this magnitude," says Rogers. For Rogers
and his team, this included conducting field surveys, developing
databases, taking digital photographs on-site, and transferring
all the data collected to the client-all within an 18-month timeframe.
Before
the project got underway, Rogers and members of Hanson's project
team met with ICC representatives. "We wanted to ensure we acquired
the specific data the ICC wanted from each railroad crossing," he
says. He and his crew also had to familiarize themselves with ICC's
database. "We had to make sure the information we gathered would
transfer seamlessly from our database to theirs."
To
accommodate this transfer, Hanson created a database specifically
for this project. It was created in Microsoft SQL format to allow
transfer of existing client data and input of the new field inventory
information, including warning devices, crossing types, geographic
location and signalized highway instructions. The collected data
was packaged in a SQL format to permit easy integration into the
ICC's current Crossing Inventory and Statistical Information System
(CRISIS).
Training and safety take top priority
Training
was also an important part of this project. Before the project began,
Hanson's field survey crews participated in three training sessions.
The first session covered roadway worker safety. Crew members learned
the importance of observing railroad warning signs and maintaining
safe distances between their survey vehicles and the railroad tracks.
During
the second session, field crew managers trained the crews how to
properly gather information while conducting their field surveys
at grade crossings and grade separations. Thirdly, they received
hands-on training. Crew members spent at least three days training
out in the field to become proficient at collecting data. Says Rogers,
"This training was critical so that the data collected and the method
used to collect it was consistent among every crew."
Technology translates raw data into useable information
Once
the training was complete, the crews began collecting data for each
grade crossing and grade separation. Rogers divided the state into
areas by county and rail lines and assigned routes to eight survey
crews that each consisted of two members. The crews then completed
the inventory on a county-by-county basis. This allowed Rogers to
track the progress of each survey crew and determine the portions
of the state that were complete.
Working
with one of our consultants, we designed, developed and implemented
a secure Web site that was used to collect, store and manage all
data collected by the field crews. Hanson hosted and administered
the Web site from its Springfield, Ill., headquarters, providing
a secure location for authorized team members to:
- Access
the project database;
- Post
and receive project information;
- Complete
data input; and
- Track
project status.
"By
having access to the project Web site, we were able to use the inventory
data and digital photos before the deliverables were due. This helped
us resolve problems that came up on a day-to-day basis," says Michael
Stead, ICC's railroad safety program administrator.
In
addition to the Web site, Hanson's staff developed a GIS database,
which provided accurate information on the geographic location of
each grade crossing and grade separation. The project team and ICC/IDOT
used the GIS database to keep updated on the project's status, maintain
the data's integrity, and conduct quality reviews as needed.
Project requires coordination, cooperation
During
this project, Rogers and his team complied with strict quality assurance/quality
control guidelines. Procedures were in place to minimize survey
errors, to help detect errors before data input, and to spot-check
the database.
"Hanson
was very responsive to our needs during all phases of the project.
We especially appreciated their organized and innovative approach
to the study and their commitment to safety during field operations,"
comments Stead.
"Coordination
with all the railroad carriers in Illinois was critical to this
project. We worked closely with the ICC to notify all carriers of
the project and its benefits to both the state and the railroads,"
says Rogers.
Rogers
says it's this same level of coordination that will make the Indiana
project a success. He adds that cooperation among the railroads,
the Indiana Department of Transportation and Hanson's field crews
is the key to successfully completing this project.
Hanson's
Indianapolis staff will manage the Indiana rail crossing inventory.
They expect to complete this project in January 2003.
For
more information, call Gary Rogers at (217) 747-9275, or
click here to e-mail
him.
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