1

Grade Crossing Safety and

Railroad Trespass Prevention Workshop

May 9–10, 2023

Harris County Department of Education Center

6300 Irvington Blvd

Houston, TX 77022

Workshop Goals – One goal is to identify existing and emerging technology designed and used to mitigate, reduce, and ultimately 

eliminate highway-rail grade crossing and trespasser incidents. Other goals are to raise awareness of the dangers and effects of 

highway-rail grade crossing and trespasser incidents, to seek out low-cost solutions, and to discuss practicable ideas for 

technological improvements for vehicular and pedestrian safety at highway-rail grade crossings.

Day 1 

Time Focus Speakers

7:00 AM–5:00 PM Registration Harris County Department of 

Education Center Auditorium Foyer

8:00 AM–9:00 AM Welcome and Introductions

• Safety briefing

• Agenda, goals, introductions

• Welcoming remarks

Michail Grizkewitsch, Transportation 

Specialist – FRA

Mike Long, Director of Railroad 

Operations and Outreach – FRA

9:00 AM–10:00 AM Overview of Railroad Incidents

FRA

• Overview of railroad incident data analysis

• Data analysis of railroad incidents in the Houston area

Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway

• Train crews’ perspectives

North Carolina Department of Transportation

• Comprehensive cost of rail incidents

Moderator: Michail Grizkewitsch –

FRA

Curtis Dougherty, Rail Safety Inspector

– FRA

Paul Rathgeber, Director of Industry 

and Public Projects – UP

Cheryl Townlian, Assistant Director of 

Public Projects – BNSF

Roger Smock, Rail Safety Consultant, 

Rail Division – NCDOT

10:00 AM–10:15 AM Break

10:15 AM–12:00 PM Railroad Trespassing Treatments and Tools 

FRA

• Low-cost treatments (grade crossing and trespassing)

• Trespassing and Suicide Prevention Toolkit

Artificial Intelligence-Aided Trespassing Detection and 

Analytics

• An artificial intelligence-aided system for detecting 

grade crossing violations and ROW trespassing

Emergency Management Planning

• Efficient action plan to mitigate the results and effects 

of railroad emergencies 

AskRail

Moderator: Francesco Bedini Jacobini, 

Program Manager – FRA

Tashi Ngamdung, Operations Research 

Analyst – Volpe Center

Dr. Shala Blue, Engineering 

Psychologist – FRA

Asim Zaman, P.E., Project Engineer II –

Rutgers University

Roland Glenister, Inspector – FRA

Andy Elkins, Director of HazMat 

Compliance – Association of American 

Railroads
2

• First responders’ accurate, timely data about what type 

of hazardous materials a railcar is carrying

12:00 PM–1:00 PM Lunch on your own

1:00 PM–2:30 PM Mobility and Safety 

FRA

• Overview of blocked grade crossings program

Texas Operation Lifesaver

• Overview of railroad trespassing educational and 

prevention strategies

Houston Smart Crossing Project

• The use of data and emerging technologies to control 

impacts of blocked railroad crossings 

TRAINFO

• Blocked crossing prediction and communication

Moderator: Jack Hanagriff, Manager, 

Road Safety and Mobility Program,

Eastend District – City of Houston 

Ryan Jones, Rail Safety Inspector – FRA

Curtis Dougherty, Rail Safety Inspector

– FRA

Jessica Devorsky, State Coordinator –

TX Operation Lifesaver 

Jesse Bounds, Director, Mayor’s Office 

of Innovation – City of Houston

Neil Ternowetsky, Co-Founder –

TRAINFO

2:30 PM–2:40 PM Break

2:40 PM–3:30 PM Innovation 

Strategic Safety Planning and Design

• Considerations for crossing safety design and 

collaboration

• Organizing a diagnostic team

Houston Area Rail Transformation (HART)

• A collaborative and programmatic approach to leverage 

private and public funding opportunities

Moderator: Ryan Jones, Rail Safety 

Inspector – FRA

Rick Campbell, Senior Technical 

Manager – Alfred Benesch & Company

Katherine Parker, Executive Director –

Gulf Coast Rail District

3:30 PM–4:00 PM Wrap-Up and Next Steps 

• Feedback on trespasser prevention discussions

• Day 2 strategic development session overview

Monica Shaw and Michail 

Grizkewitsch – FRA

Francesco Bedini Jacobini – FRA

Day 2 

Time Focus Speakers

7:00 AM–4:30 PM Registration Harris County Department of 

Education Center Auditorium Foyer

8:00 AM–8:30 AM Welcome and Introductions

• Safety briefing

• Agenda, goals, introductions

• Welcoming remarks

Monica Shaw – FRA

Michail Grizkewitsch – FRA

James Payne – FRA

Francesco Bedini Jacobini – FRA

8:30 AM–10:00 AM Developing a Safe System Approach

Safe System Approach (SSA)

• SSA concepts, resources, examples to prevent injuries 

and deaths and improve rail and road safety

FRA’s Safety System Program

• Proactive hazard management methods that support 

continuous safety improvement

• Efforts to ensure applicable Federal, State, and local 

safety regulations and safety requirements are 

identified and addressed

Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department

• Homeless resources

Billings Montana Railroad Trespassing Task Force

• How to create a successful trespassing enforcement 

task force

Moderator: Colby Scott, Inspector –

FRA

T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, MPH, Senior 

Advisor, Public Health & 

Transportation – TIRF and FIA 

Foundation (retired NTSB)

Rachel Grice, Senior Engineering 

Psychologist – FRA

Darrell Fizer, Transportation 

Specialist – FRA

Derrick Fontenot, Sergeant, Homeless 

Outreach Team – Houston Police

Department

John Whitley, Deputy – Harris County

Sheriff’s Office

Brandon Ihde, Officer –
3

Billings Police Department

10:00 AM–10:15 AM Break

10:15 AM–12:00 AM Grade Crossing Round Table 

FRA/Volpe

• Engineering versus enforcement

• Media and awareness

• Predictability and risk

Moderator: Francesco Bedini 

Jacobini – FRA

Dr. Shala Blue – FRA

Tashi Ngamdung – Volpe Center

12:00 PM–1:00 PM Lunch on your own

1:00 PM–3:30 PM Trespassing Round Table

FRA/Volpe

• Trespassing issues

• Mitigation plans

• Next steps

Moderator: Monica Shaw – FRA

Michail Grizkewitsch – FRA

Francesco Bedini Jacobini – FRA

Tashi Ngamdung – Volpe Center

3:30 PM–3:45 PM Break

3:45 PM–4:30 PM FRA Funding Solutions 

• FRA Office of Civil Rights 

• Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety 

Improvements (CRISI) grants

Monica Shaw and Michail 

Grizkewitsch – FRA

Edward Pritchard, Equal Opportunity 

Specialist – FRA

Matt Lorah, Supervisory Grants 

Management Specialist – FRA

Jenny Zeng, Transportation Industry 

Analyst – FRA

4:30 PM • Recap and next steps Workshop Staff