1 NTSB/HAB-08/03 

E PLURIBUS UNUM

NATIONAL TRA SPORTATIO

N

B OARD

SAFE T Y

N

National Transportation Safety Board 

Washington, D.C. 20594 

Highway Accident Brief 

Accident Number: HWY-06-MH-007 

Accident Type: Commuter train highway-railroad grade crossing accident 

Location: West Grand Avenue, Elmwood Park, Illinois 

Date and Time: November 23, 2005; 4:43 p.m. 

Vehicles: General Motors EMD F40PH locomotive with 6 passenger cars 

(train 107) 

18 private motor vehicles 

Owner/Operator: Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad (METRA) 

Fatalities/Injuries: 10 injured, no fatalities 

Accident Description 

About 4:41 p.m. on November 23, 2005, the day before Thanksgiving, in Elmwood Park, 

Illinois, a traffic queue formed within the 366-foot-wide signaled METRA highway-railroad 

grade crossing on eastbound West Grand Avenue.1 (See figures 1 through 3.) At the same time, 

METRA train 107 was approaching the crossing on the westbound tracks at a speed of 70 mph, 

as indicated by event data recorder information. The crossing lights activated and the crossing 

gates lowered 54 seconds before the train arrived. The traffic queue trapped some stopped 

vehicles within the grade crossing. 

 1

 The width of the crossing was determined by measuring the distance from the eastbound crossing gate to 

the farthest rail, as measured from the right lane of eastbound West Grand Avenue along a vehicle’s path of travel. 
2 NTSB/HAB-08/03 

Figure 1. Location of the Elmwood Park grade crossing accident. 

Figure 2. Diagram of the Elmwood Park grade crossing. 
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Figure 3. Eastbound view of the Elmwood Park grade crossing. 

As METRA train 107 approached the crossing, the engineer recognized the hazard and 

put the train into emergency braking. The train was unable to stop before colliding with 

approximately 6 of the stopped vehicles, pushing them into secondary impacts with 12 other 

vehicles about 4:43 p.m. (See figure 4.) Seven automobile occupants received minor-to-serious 

injuries, and 3 of the approximately 400 train passengers reported minor injuries. The impact 

destroyed 6 vehicles, and 12 vehicles had minor-to-extensive damage. The locomotive incurred 

minor damage and did not derail. 
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Figure 4. View of the postcrash scene. 

An Elmwood Park Police Department video surveillance camera near the crossing 

recorded the sequence of events that culminated in the accident. Table 1 details the sequence of 

traffic queue development within the crossing and how congestion beyond the intersection of 

76th and West Grand Avenues impeded queued vehicles from clearing the crossing before the 

METRA train arrived. 
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Table 1. Sequence of events leading to the accident, recorded on surveillance video on 

November 23, 2005. 

Event Time (24-hour clock)

76th and West Grand Ave. intersection signal, located about a 

block east of the grade crossing, turns reda 

16:41:23 

Queue of eastbound vehicles on West Grand Ave. develops 

over the railroad tracks 

16:41:41 

76th and West Grand Ave. intersection signal turns green; 

eastbound vehicles continue to queue on the tracks due to 

traffic gridlock beyond the intersection 

16:42:00b 

Flashing lights and gates activate at the West Grand Ave. 

grade crossing 

16:42:43c 

Crossing gates lower; vehicles are still queued on the tracks 16:42:47 to 16:42:55 

76th and West Grand Ave. intersection signal turns amber 16:43:10 

76th and West Grand Ave. intersection signal turns red 16:43:13 

METRA train 107 enters the West Grand Ave. grade crossing 

and collides with six vehicles 

16:43:38 

a The 76th and West Grand Ave. intersection signal in the video was for westbound vehicles. Timing for the 

eastbound signals may have differed slightly due to the presence of an advance left-turn signal.

b The eastbound green light lasted approximately 1 minute 10 seconds. The advance left-turn signal may have 

added several seconds to this total.

c When the gates activated, 27 seconds of green light time remained at the signal for the 76th and West Grand 

Ave. intersection.

According to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), several factors probably caused 

the heavy congestion on West Grand Avenue at the time of the accident. First, West Grand 

Avenue is a main travel route to and from Chicago, and the accident occurred on the day before 

the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest travel days of the year. Second, the sequencing of 

the traffic signals for several nearby streets contributed to the congestion. The railroad tracks 

also intersect 75th, 73rd, and Harlem Avenues just south of where these three roads intersect 

West Grand Avenue. (See figure 1.) The traffic signals and the railroad crossing signals of these 

three avenues are interconnected, so an approaching train would cause the traffic signals 

governing northbound travel to stay green to allow traffic queues to clear the crossings. At the 

same time, the response of these interconnected signals to the train’s approach would result in a 

string of red traffic signals for motorists traveling along this portion of West Grand Avenue, 

resulting in heavy traffic congestion. Third, although the intersection signal lights along West 

Grand Avenue are synchronized to ease traffic flow in the eastbound and westbound directions, 

synchronization is preempted at 75th, 73rd, and Harlem Avenues whenever a train approaches. It 

may take several cycles for the traffic signals to resynchronize. During periods of heavy train 

activity, as was the case prior to this accident, the traffic signals along West Grand Avenue 
6 NTSB/HAB-08/03 

might not have enough time to resynchronize before the arrival of the next train, contributing 

further to traffic congestion on West Grand Avenue. Finally, activation of the 75th, 73rd, and 

Harlem Avenue grade crossings impedes eastbound vehicles on West Grand Avenue from 

turning right, causing these vehicles to continue queuing in the right lane of West Grand Avenue 

until the crossings are clear. This situation effectively reduces the number of through lanes on 

eastbound West Grand Avenue from two to one. 

West Grand Avenue Grade Crossing 

The 366-foot-wide West Grand Avenue grade crossing is the widest in the State of 

Illinois. This width is due to the acute 10° angle at which the four divided lanes of West Grand 

Avenue intersect the three rail tracks at the crossing. Because of the angle of this intersection, 

vehicles must cross 179 feet of rail, measured from the outer rails along a vehicle’s path of 

travel, to get from one side of the crossing to the other. By contrast, about 0.5 mile east, the three 

rail tracks intersect the four lanes of Harlem Avenue at a 70° angle; at this grade crossing, 

vehicles traverse 35 feet of rail to get from one side to the other. 

At the time of the accident, the maximum track speed was 70 mph for passenger trains 

and 30 mph for freight trains. Passenger trains used this crossing 82 times per day (Monday 

through Friday), and freight trains used it 25 times per day (Monday through Friday). The 

average daily vehicle traffic at this section of West Grand Avenue was 20,900 vehicles. 

The highway-rail grade crossing signal configuration consisted of a crossbuck sign with 

an indication of the number of tracks, post-mounted flashing light signals, an overhead structure 

with flashing light signals, and an automatic gate consisting of a drive mechanism operating a 

fully retro-reflectorized red-and-white-striped gate arm with lights. Activation of the signalized 

crossing provided motorists at least 54 seconds of warning before a train entered the intersection. 

The configuration of the warning signals at this grade crossing conformed to guidance in the 

2003 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).2

Table 2 lists the grade crossing warning signs for the eastbound lanes of West Grand 

Avenue at the time of the accident, as well as their distances from the grade crossing gate arm.

 2

 U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Manual on Uniform Traffic 

Control Devices for Streets and Highways, Part 8, “Traffic Controls for Highway-Rail Grade Crossings” 

(Washington, DC: FHWA, 2003). 
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Table 2. Signage for the eastbound lanes of West Grand Avenue approaching the grade 

crossing at the time of the accident. 

Signage 

Distance to grade 

crossing gate arm Location 

Highway-rail grade crossing 

advance warning sign (W10-1) 

430 feet Mounted on right side of West 

Grand Avenue 

Highway-rail grade crossing 

pavement marking 

326 feet Pavement marking extended 

across right and left lanes 

“Long Crossing Do Not Stop 

On Tracks” sign 

123 feet Mounted on right side of West 

Grand Avenue 

“Caution Railroad Tracks No 

Turns” sign 

53 feet Mounted on right side of West 

Grand Avenue 

“Long Crossing Do Not Stop 

On Tracks” sign 

29 feet Mounted on cantilevered support 

of grade signal over travel lanes 

Accident records provided by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Illinois 

Department of Transportation (IDOT) indicated that 45 accidents occurred at this grade crossing 

between 1956 and November 2005, resulting in a total of 7 fatalities and 27 injuries. Prior to 

November 23, 2005, the last accident at this location occurred on November 24, 2004—the day 

before Thanksgiving 2004—and resulted in two injuries. 

On November 28 and 29, 2005, National Transportation Safety Board investigators spent 

a total of 6 hours observing the traffic flow across the West Grand Avenue grade crossing during 

morning and evening rush hours. Investigators noted that traffic queues often formed on the 

eastbound side of the West Grand Avenue grade crossing when the traffic signal lights at West 

Grand Avenue and 76th Avenue turned red. Most eastbound drivers slowed or stopped before 

entering the grade crossing and proceeded only when the traffic signal turned green or when they 

perceived that there was enough space to join the traffic queue on the east side of the grade 

crossing. Sometimes, drivers farther back in the queue would sound their horns and gesture in an 

attempt to move the queue forward. Occasionally, the traffic queued onto the West Grand 

Avenue grade crossing. On two separate occasions during their 6 hours of observation, 

investigators saw a vehicle trapped in the area between the crossing gates and the tracks when 

the gates were down and crossing signals were active. 

Before the November 2005 accident, the Village of Elmwood Park, in conjunction with 

IDOT and the ICC, had undertaken several initiatives to improve the safety of the grade 

crossing. These projects included installing a fiber optic network on West Grand Avenue in 2002 

to improve the coordination of the traffic signals at the 76th, 75th, and 73rd Avenue intersections 

and traffic flow along West Grand Avenue;3

 initiating “Operation Lifesaver” public education 

 3 This initiative did not include interconnecting the 76th Avenue traffic signals with the grade crossing 

signals for West Grand Avenue. 
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efforts in 2002; and erecting “Long Crossing Do Not Stop On Tracks” signs above the travel 

lanes of West Grand Avenue in both travel directions in 2003. Elmwood Park representatives 

stated that they believed these improvements had alleviated some of the traffic congestion 

around the crossing. Evidence from the FRA’s Web-Based Accident Prediction System 

(WBAPS)4

 supports this belief. Based on highway-rail grade crossing collision data gathered for 

1998–2002, WBAPS predicted that the West Grand Avenue crossing would incur about 0.47 

collision per year. This WBAPS value was the highest for any public grade crossing in the State 

of Illinois for the period. The 2002–2006 WBAPS value for the crossing was 0.28 collision per 

year, a decrease from the previous period’s accident prediction value but still the third highest 

for a public grade crossing in the State. 

Safety Board investigators met with representatives from the Village of Elmwood Park, 

the ICC, and IDOT on November 25, 2005, to discuss the possibility of interconnecting the 76th 

Avenue traffic signals with the West Grand Avenue grade crossing signals. State and local 

representatives stated that the traffic density on West Grand Avenue exceeded the design 

capacity of the road, resulting in backups of 0.5 mile or more. Interconnection of the grade 

crossing signals with the 76th Avenue traffic signals would require interconnection with the 

nearby grade crossing and traffic signals on 75th Avenue. The State and local authorities at the 

meeting estimated that if the West Grand Avenue grade crossing signals were interconnected 

with the traffic signals at 75th and 76th Avenues, the signal warning time for the West Grand 

Avenue grade crossing would be about 2 minutes 40 seconds. This interval would require 

motorists to wait behind the lowered gates for nearly 3 minutes before a train arrived and would 

result in the crossing being closed for more than 4 hours per day for train passage. The meeting 

representatives stated that this would lead to increased traffic congestion, which would probably 

cause more motorists to ignore the grade crossing signals, and thereby result in more grade 

crossing accidents. They stated that the only effective way to prevent these types of accidents is 

to provide a grade separation of West Grand Avenue at the rail grade crossing. 

Grade Crossing Modifications Since the Elmwood Park Accident 

Postaccident, METRA and the State of Illinois took steps to reduce the potential for 

grade crossing accidents at the West Grand Avenue crossing. METRA restricted track speed in 

the vicinity of West Grand Avenue5

 to 30 mph on November 28, 2005. METRA stated that the 

restriction would remain in effect until substantial safety improvements were made at the 

crossing. In December 2005, the Governor of Illinois announced interim improvements for the 

West Grand Avenue grade crossing until a more permanent solution is realized; the following 

improvements have been fully implemented: 

 4

 WBAPS ranks each crossing based on its 5-year accident history, as well as basic data on each crossing’s 

physical and operating characteristics. According to the FRA, WBAPS is a tool to help State officials decide where 

best to direct scarce highway-rail grade crossing resources. 

5

 The speed restriction covers the area from mile marker 10.4 to 10.6. 
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• December 2005: Installed a changeable message (warning) sign for eastbound West 

Grand Avenue in advance of the crossing. 

• February 2006: Removed all eastbound “No Right Turn” blank-out signs from both the 

75th and 73rd Avenue traffic signals. 

• April 2006: Modified traffic signal timings and sequences for the 76th, 75th, and 73rd 

Avenue intersections located east of the crossing to improve traffic flow for eastbound 

West Grand Avenue. 

• May 2006: Installed low-mount “Do Not Stop On Tracks” signs and amber warning 

flashers on both sides of the crossing. 

• By March 2007: Installed crosshatch pavement marking within the crossing area. 

• By March 2007: Removed an eastbound transit bus stop that had been located between 

the grade crossing and the intersection of 76th and West Grand Avenues. 

• Ongoing: Trimmed tall vegetation from the landscaped area near the southeast quadrant 

of the crossing to improve the sight distance for train engineers approaching the crossing. 

• Ongoing: Increased Illinois Operation Lifesaver public education efforts in the Elmwood 

Park area. 

In March 2007, IDOT completed a feasibility study, which had been initiated at the 

direction of the Governor of Illinois, to identify engineering options for improving the West 

Grand Avenue crossing. IDOT selected three options as being most feasible, each of which 

would result in grade separation between the METRA rails and West Grand Avenue.6

 According 

to IDOT, a preliminary engineering and environmental study is needed to identify the preferred 

option among these three alternatives. Funding was not allocated for this purpose for the 2007 or 

2008 fiscal years. 

The May 2008 WBAPS value for the West Grand Avenue grade crossing is 0.25, which 

reflects the absence of accidents on the crossing since November 23, 2005. Although no 

accidents have occurred recently, vehicles are still being trapped within the crossing gates. On 

March 22, 2007, a METRA safety official told Safety Board investigators that a school bus 

loaded with students that was traveling westbound on West Grand Avenue had become trapped 

in the area between the railroad tracks and the crossing gate 8 days earlier.7

 A METRA signals 

supervisor who happened to be at the crossing was able to radio the oncoming train to warn it 

about the bus. Because there was enough room between the crossing gate and the tracks to 

accommodate the school bus safely while the train passed, a collision would not have occurred. 

 6

 The three options selected were (1) to raise West Grand Avenue over the METRA rails, (2) to lower West 

Grand Avenue under the METRA rails, or (3) to simultaneously lower West Grand Avenue and raise the METRA 

rails. 

7

 Per telephone conversation with the METRA safety chief, March 22, 2007. A photo of the trapped school 

bus was published in Elm Leaves, Volume 37(1), page 3. 
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Probable Cause 

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the 

Elmwood Park accident was a combination of factors that led to the development of a traffic 

queue on the West Grand Avenue highway-rail grade crossing and prevented queued vehicles 

from exiting the crossing prior to the arrival of a Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad 

(METRA) train: the factors were the acute angle of intersection between West Grand Avenue 

and the railroad tracks, which resulted in an exceptionally wide grade crossing; the unusually 

heavy vehicle traffic that preceded the Thanksgiving holiday; and the complex street and rail 

pattern and related signal interactions between Harlem Avenue and the West Grand Avenue 

grade crossing, which frequently desynchronized the traffic signals along West Grand Avenue 

during peak travel times. 

Recommendation 

As a result of this accident investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board made 

the safety recommendation listed below. For more information about the Safety Board’s 

recommendation, see the accompanying safety recommendation letter.8

To the Governor of Illinois: 

Require the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Illinois Department of 

Transportation to construct a grade separation in place of the West Grand 

Avenue grade crossing, and provide the necessary resources to effect this 

change. (H-08-2) 

BY THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD 

MARK V. ROSENKER DEBORAH A. P. HERSMAN 

Chairman Member

ROBERT L. SUMWALT KATHRYN O’LEARY HIGGINS 

Vice Chairman Member 

 STEVEN R. CHEALANDER 

 Member 

Adopted: June 10, 2008 

 8 The recommendation letter is available on the Safety Board’s website at 

<http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2008/>.