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MAP-21 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century

Home / MAP-21 / Guidance / Railway-Highway Crossings Program Reporting Guidance

Railway-Highway Crossings Program Reporting Guidance


Date Issues/Effective Date

February 22, 2013, Office of Safety

Purpose

This guidance addresses the reporting requirements for States using title 23, United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 130 (hereafter referred to as "Section 130") funds. This guidance reflects the railway-highway crossings program reporting requirements under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and Part 924 of title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations (23 CFR Part 924). This guidance replaces the "Guidance on 23 U.S.C. 130 Annual Reporting Requirements for Railway-Highway Crossings", dated May 5, 2006.

Legislative Reference

Section 130(g) of title 23, U.S.C. requires each State to submit an annual report to the Secretary of Transportation on the progress being made to implement the railway-highway crossings program, the effectiveness of such improvements, an assessment of the costs of the various treatments employed, and subsequent crash experience at improved locations. This will be referred to as the "Railway-Highway Crossings Report." In addition, 23 U.S.C. 148(h)(1)(C) requires States to submit to the Secretary a report that describes how improvements contributed to reducing fatalities and serious injuries at railway-highway crossings. FHWA recommends that this information be included in the Railway-Highway Crossings Report, rather than submitting the information in a separate report.

The annual Railway-Highway Crossings Report provides information on how well State and Federal goals of the railway-highway crossings program are being met. The Secretary uses this information in a biennial report to Congress in accordance with Section 130(g). The report to Congress provides information on the progress being made by the States in implementing projects to improve safety at railway-highway crossings and makes recommendations for future implementation of the Section 130 program.

Section 130(k) allows the expenditure of funds for the compilation and analysis of data in support of the reporting activities to not more than two percent of the funds apportioned to a State to carry out Section 130. For example, a State is apportioned $10,000,000 in a FY for Section 130. That State can use up to $200,000 of Section 130 funds for the compilation and analysis of data for reporting activities.

Table of Contents

  1. Reporting Frequency and Schedule
  2. Content and Structure of the Report
    1. General Program
    2. Project Metrics
  3. Protection of Data from Discovery & Admission into Evidence
Attachment 1: Key List of Resources Related to Section 130
Attachment 2: Report Template

Guidance

The Railway-Highway Crossings Program reporting guidance provides information on the reporting frequency and schedule, content and structure of the report, and protection of data from discovery and admission into evidence.

1. Reporting Frequency and Schedule

States should submit their annual Railway-Highway Crossings Report electronically to the FHWA Division Administrator by August 31 each year, in conjunction with the annual HSIP report required under 23 U.S.C. 148(g).

The HSIP online reporting tool fully supports the information necessary to complete this annual requirement. States that report on their Railway-Highway Crossing Program via the online reporting tool will meet the annual requirement. Additional information is available on the Office of Safety website at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/resources/onrpttool/. The report template included in Attachment 2 reflects the online reporting tool content.

2. Content and Structure of the Report

Section 130(g) of title 23, U.S.C. requires a measure of the effectiveness of the improvements. A State should define the effectiveness as the reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries after the improvement was completed. At a minimum, the Railway-Highway Crossings Report should include the following information:

A. Program Structure

  1. Provide an Executive Summary of the overall Section 130 program administration and results.
  2. Identify the reporting period used by the State. This could be based on the calendar year, State fiscal year, or Federal fiscal year. The reporting period should be consistent for a State from year to year.
  3. Describe the overall process of how Section 130 funds are administered in the State. This section should cover broad topics such as:
    1. Describe how the funds are distributed and administered in the State (such as centralized administration or de-centralized administration through district or regional offices).
    2. Describe the method(s) for project selection.
    3. Describe the method(s) used to measure effectiveness of the projects and program. Consideration should be given to quantifying effectiveness in the context of fatalities and serious injuries, per 148(h).
    4. Describe any noteworthy efforts the State has used to effectively deliver a successful program.
  4. Identify the expenditures for data acquisition and analysis efforts if Section 130 funds are utilized for this purpose (Note: this is limited to 2 percent of the funds apportioned to the State under section 130).
  5. Provide the total number of public crossings within the State, including the type of crossing protection (active, passive, and grade separated)
  6. Provide the specific program emphasis areas, and if necessary Include a discussion of significant variations from previous reports
  7. Provide an assessment of overall Section 130 program effectiveness.

B. Project Metrics

This section provides a list of all the projects obligated using Section 130 funds during this reporting period and an evaluation of previously completed projects.

  1. Project listing. The following information should be provided for all projects obligated during this reporting period:

    1. Location of projects;
    2. USDOT crossing numbers;
    3. FHWA roadway functional classification;
    4. Specific project type and description (see project groupings below);
    5. Crossing protection (active, passive);
    6. Crossing type (for example: vehicle, pedestrian, etc.);
    7. Cost of project including Federal share;
    8. Funding types (Section 130 or other);

  2. Previously completed projects. The following information should be provided to evaluate previously completed projects:

    1. Location of projects;
    2. USDOT crossing numbers;
    3. FHWA roadway functional classification;
    4. Specific project type and description (see project groupings below);
    5. Crossing protection (active, passive);
    6. Crossing type (for example: vehicle, pedestrian, etc.);
    7. Cost of project including Federal share;
    8. Funding types (Section 130 or other);
    9. Crash data (show a minimum of 3 years before and up to 3 years after project completion); and
    10. Effectiveness of prior year projects

The project listings should be grouped by the type of improvement:

3. Protection of data from discovery & admission evidence

Section 409 of title 23 U.S.C. states that reports, surveys, schedules, lists, or data compiled or collected pursuant to Section 130 shall not be subject to discovery or admitted into evidence in a Federal or State court proceeding or considered for other purposes in an action for damages arising from any occurrence at a location identified or addressed in such reports, surveys, schedules, lists, or data.


Attachment 1: Key List of Resources Related to Section 130


Attachment 2: Report Template[1]

  1. PROGRAM STRUCTURE

    1. Executive Summary

    2. enter text here
    3. Identify the reporting period used by the state.

      [] Calendar Year: Jan. 1 to Dec. 31
      [] Federal Fiscal Year: Oct. 1 to Sept. 30
      [] State Fiscal Year: enter text here

    4. Describe the overall process of how Section 130 funds are administered in the State.

      enter text here

      1. Describe how funds are distributed and administered in the State.

        [] Centralized Administration
        [] De-centralized administration through district or regional offices

      2. Describe the method(s) used for project selection.

        enter text here

      3. Describe the method(s) used to measure effectiveness (in terms of reducing fatalities and serious injuries) of the projects and program.

        enter text here

      4. Describe any noteworthy efforts the State has used to effectively deliver a successful program.

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    5. Identify the expenditures for data acquisition and analysis efforts. This amount is limited to 2 percent of the annual Section 130 apportionment).

      enter text here

    6. Provide the total number of public crossings within the State, including the type of crossing protection.

      Crossing typeNumber of Crossings
      At-grade active warning devices 
      Grade-separated RR over road 
      At-grade passive warning devices 
    7.  
    8. Provide the specific program emphasis areas, and if necessary, a discussion of significant variations from previous reports.

      enter text here

    9. Provide an assessment of overall Section 130 program effectiveness.

      enter text here

  2. PROJECT METRICS

    1. Project Listing

      Location USDOT Crossing Number Functional Classification Project Type (See Grouping Table below) Crossing Protection (Active or Passive) Crossing Type (Vehicle, Pedestrian, etc) Cost Federal Share Funding Type (Section 130 or other)
                       
    2.  
    3. Previously Completed Projects

      Location USDOT Crossing Number Functional Class-ification Project Type (See Grouping Table below) Crossing Protection (Active or Passive) Crossing Type (Vehicle, Pedes-trian, etc) Cost Federal Share Funding Type (Section 130 or other) Crash Data Effective-ness of prior project
                           

    Project listing should be grouped by the following types of improvements

    • Crossing Approach Improvements - Projects such as channelization, new or upgraded signals on the approach (not including the active grade crossing signals), guardrail, pedestrian/bicycle path improvements near the crossing, and illumination.
    • Crossing Warning Sign and Pavement Marking Improvements - Projects such as signs, pavement markings and/or delineation where these project activities are the predominant safety improvements.
    • Active Grade Crossing Equipment Installation/Upgrade - Projects such as new or upgraded flashing lights and gates, track circuitry, wayside horns, and signal improvements such as railway-highway signal interconnection and pre-emption.
    • Visibility Improvements - Projects such as sight distance improvements and vegetation clearance.
    • Roadway Geometry Improvements - Projects such as roadway horizontal and/or vertical alignment, sight distance, and elimination of high-profile ("humped") crossings.
    • Grade Crossing Elimination - Projects such as crossing elimination through closure, relocation, or construction/reconstruction of a grade separation structure.
    • Crossing Inventory Update - Projects such as efforts to update and manage the railway- highway grade crossing inventory and development of a Web-based inventory.

[1] This information collection has been assigned OMB control number 2125-0025 under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Page last modified on January 30, 2019
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