US Department 

of Transportation

Federal Railroad 

Administration

Use of Traffic Channelization Devices at Highway-Rail 

Grade Crossings

SUMMARY

Traffic channelization devices have a long history of use on highways as a means to separate vehicular 

traffic or to accommodate smooth traffic flow. These devices have found new applications as safety 

measures at highway-rail grade crossings. Studies on driver behavior at grade crossings indicate that a 

strong correlation exists between violations of the crossing warning devices and collisions. Deterring the 

risky behavior of driving around a lowered gate makes the grade crossing a safer environment. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) promotes the use of 

traffic channelization devices at highway-rail grade crossings with active warning devices, where 

applicable. The traffic channelization devices provide a proven safety benefit without the same 

hindrances to mobility that occur with crossing closure or the costs associated with four-quadrant gate 

systems. Median barriers that meet the criteria within the Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns at 

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings are approved supplemental safety measures for the establishment of a 

quiet zone. Many studies have been performed at locations where driver violations occurred at highwayrail grade crossings and after installation of channelization devices at these locations; a significant 

reduction in driver violations occurred. 

The purpose of this research is to provide information about the use of traffic channelizing devices at 

highway-rail grade crossings. It includes a survey of the types of installations available, considerations 

for design, quiet zones, and special circumstances, as well as a discussion on the effectiveness of traffic 

channelization devices at improving safety at highway-rail grade crossings.

Figure 1: Traffic Channelization Devices (photo courtesy of NCDOT)

 

 RR 10-03

 June 2010
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Federal Railroad Administration

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Research Results RR10-03

BACKGROUND

Since 1994, collisions at highway-rail grade 

crossings have declined by more than 40 

percent. However, in 2008, 286 fatalities 

occurred in 2,391 highway-rail grade crossing 

collisions [1]. Eliminating these incidents 

altogether continues to pose a challenge. 

Studies on driver behavior at grade crossings 

indicate that a strong correlation between 

violations of the crossing warning devices and 

collisions. Deterring the risky behavior of 

driving around a lowered gate makes the 

grade crossing a safer environment. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 

promotes the use of traffic channelization 

devices at highway-rail grade crossings with 

active warning devices where applicable. In 

2008, the FRA Office of Safety issued the 

brochure, “Guidance on the Use of Traffic 

Channelizing Devices at Highway-Rail Grade 

Crossings” [2], which was designed to assist 

in the selection of the appropriate traffic 

channelization device. It is distributed on the 

FRA Web site and at rail conferences with the 

hope of encouraging traffic engineers to 

pursue traffic channelization at grade 

crossings. 

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this research is to provide 

information about the use of traffic 

channelizing devices at highway-rail grade 

crossings. The information is intended for the 

use of transportation professionals and 

practitioners when considering improvements 

to highway-rail grade crossings.

METHODS

The approach to this project was to gather 

pertinent information about the use of traffic 

channelization devices at highway-rail grade 

crossings. States have already installed 

these at grade crossings in an effort to 

improve compliance with the active warning 

devices and in turn, safety at the crossings. 

The experiences of states and researchers 

can be shared to encourage the appropriate 

use of median barriers at highway-rail grade 

crossings. 

FINDINGS

Traffic Channelization Options

Wide raised medians provide the opportunity 

to include landscaping in its design. Although 

not a barrier, it can be an effective deterrent 

against violations of the crossing warning 

devices. 

Barrier wall systems typically consist of 

concrete barriers, which are the most 

effective deterrent against circumventing 

lowered gates, but require a wide section 

between the roadway lanes. 

Figure 2: Wide Raised Median

Nonmountable curb islands can be described 

as an island 6 to 9 inches high and 2 feet 

wide in which common roadway vehicles 

cannot mount and cross the island. This does 

cause concern, however, of increased crash 

risk and severity along the roadway and 

should be used judiciously.

Mountable raised curb seem to be the most 

effective traffic channelization device. It has 

minimal impact on the existing roadway and 

can easily be removed, if necessary. Raised 

vertical panels should always be installed with 

this system. The panels provide a visual 

deterrent to circumventing a lowered gate.

Installations at Crossings within a Quiet Zone

One of the most frequent uses of median 

barriers at highway-rail grade crossings is in 

conjunction with the establishment of a quiet 

zone. The Final Rule on the Use of 

Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade 

Crossings standardized the establishment of 

quiet zones. 
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Federal Railroad Administration

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Research Results RR10-03

One of the supplemental safety measures 

(SSM) identified in this rule is gates with 

medians or channelization devices. The 

intent of an SSM is to reduce the risk at the 

crossing to permit the silencing of the train 

horn. The use of channelization devices as 

SSMs must be compliant with the 

specification outlined in the rule. Per the rule, 

the channelization devices or median barriers 

must be installed on both approaches to the 

crossing. This prevents drivers from 

circumventing the lowered gates by 

approaching the crossing in the opposing 

lane. The median barriers or channelization 

devices must extend 100 feet from the 

crossing gate arm, or if an intersection is 

within 100 feet of the crossing, the 

channelization device must extend 60 feet. 

Any intersections within 60 feet of the 

crossing should be closed or relocated. 

One major reason that channelization devices 

are a popular installation at quiet zones is the 

cost. The cost of some SSMs can be 

prohibitive. For example, four-quadrant gate 

installations can cost upwards of $250,000. 

The installation of median barriers at a 

crossing costs on average $14,000 [3]. This 

magnitude of cost difference makes 

channelization devices an attractive safety 

measure to reduce risk at highway-rail grade 

crossings. 

Figure 3: Mountable Raised Curb

(photo courtesy of NCDOT)

Issues and Considerations

A successful median barrier project considers 

all potential impacts of the installation. If the 

crossing is on a route that is used by 

emergency vehicles, heavy trucks, or large 

farm equipment, it may be necessary to 

accommodate a U-turn for these vehicles. 

This is especially important for vertically 

challenging “humped” crossings that lowclearance trailer trucks could potentially have 

problems traversing successfully. To 

accommodate U-turns for large vehicles, a 

potential option is to utilize mountable raised 

curbs with vertical panels. These installations 

can be driven over, if necessary. And, the 

replacement of the upright panels is easy 

and inexpensive. 

The Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive 

Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings 

states that the recommended length for a 

median barrier at a highway-rail grade 

crossing is 100 feet. However, a divided 

roadway for 100 feet could restrict access to 

intersecting streets or driveways within the 

100-foot zone. An analysis of traffic patterns 

should be performed to see if the installation 

of a median barrier is appropriate for that 

location. 

The installation of traffic channelization 

devices at highway-rail grade crossings 

requires the cooperation of many 

stakeholders. It is in the interest of the 

railroad to improve safety at the crossing and 

they are often the chief proponent of 

implementing a crossing with traffic 

channelization devices. However, because 

the traffic channelization devices extend 

beyond the right of way of the railroad, the 

roadway authority must also be involved. 

The local government will be in the best 

position to negotiate the purchase of 

additional frontage should there be any 

changes to the roadway width to 

accommodate median barriers. 

Effectiveness

Several demonstration studies have been 

conducted that included an evaluation of the 

reduction of risky driver behavior after traffic 

channelization devices were installed at a 

grade crossing. Because incidents are rare, 

the studies frequently used circumventing 

the gates or other unsafe behavior as a 

surrogate. When the results from a variety of 

studies were averaged, it indicated that 

unsafe driver actions at grade

 
US Department of Transportation

Federal Railroad Administration

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Research Results RR10-03

crossings were reduced by 68 percent after 

the installation of traffic channelization 

devices. The Final Rule on the Use of 

Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade 

Crossings assigned a 75 percent 

effectiveness rating to traffic channelization 

devices over crossings equipped with twoquadrant gates, which is in general agreement 

with the studies. 

 

CONCLUSIONS 

The installation of traffic channelization 

devices at highway rail grade crossings has 

proven to be a cost-effective means of 

improving safety. The traffic channelization 

devices provide a proven safety benefit 

without the same hindrances to mobility that 

occur with crossing closure or the costs 

associated with four-quadrant gate systems. 

Median barriers/traffic channelization devices

that meet the criteria within the Final Rule on 

the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail 

Grade Crossings are approved supplemental 

safety measures for the establishment of a 

quiet zone. 

Implementing median b

rail grade crossing 

devices can reduce the

that crossing.

arriers at a highwaywith active warning 

 risk of a collision at 

REFERENCES

[1] U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Federal Railroad Administration, Railroad 

Accident-Incident Reporting System–

Highway-Rail Accidents, June 2009. 

[2] U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Federal Railroad Administration, “Guidance 

on the Use of Traffic Channelizing Devices at 

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings,” Washington, 

DC: U.S. DOT, January 2008.

[3] Code of Federal Regulations Volume 4, 

Title 49 Parts 222 and 229, “Final Rule on the 

Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail 

Grade Crossings,” August 17, 2006.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

This work is performed under an interagency 

agreement between FRA’s Signals, Train 

Control, and Communications Division in the 

Office of Research and Development and the 

Volpe National Transportation Systems 

Center’s System Engineering and Safety

Division.

AUTHORS

Suzanne M. Horton

Volpe Center

Systems Engineering and Safety Division

55 Broadway

Cambridge, MA 02142

Tel: (617) 494-3678

E-mail: Suzanne.Horton@dot.gov

CONTACT

Leonard Allen 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Office of Research and Development 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE – Mail Stop 20 

Washington, DC 20590 

Tel: (202) 493-6329 Fax: (202) 493-6333 

E-mail: Leonard.Allen@dot.gov 

KEYWORDS

Traffic channelization devices, median 

barriers, highway-rail grade crossings, railroad 

safety