Potential Issues and Challenges in Implementing the Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2008 Based on a National Survey

Highway-rail crossing safety is a critical issue, highlighted by the recently enacted Rail Safety Improvement Act (by the U.S. Congress. This article documents a national survey of peer state agencies as part of the effort to better understand the current issues of highway-rail grade crossing inspection and best practices in vegetation blockage clearance in the visibility triangle. The authors conducted an extensive literature review, in-depth dialogs with a few selected agencies, and focused on case studies to obtain realistic assessments of current practices in highway-rail grade crossing inspections. Potential issues and concerns in the implementation of the Rail Safety Improvement Act are highlighted.