==>> TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP GUIDANCE ON TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURE==>>

==>> TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP GUIDANCE ON TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCEDURE==>>

The Technical Working Group (TWG) established by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) is led by representatives from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This cooperation among the various representatives of TWG represents a landmark effort to enhance communication among highway agencies, railroad companies and authorities, and governmental agencies involved in developing and implementing policies, rules, and regulations.
The TWG document is intended to provide guidance to assist engineers in the selection of traffic control devices or other measures at highway-rail grade crossings.¹¹⁸ It is not to be interpreted as policy or standards and is not mandatory. Any requirements that may be noted in the report are taken from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) or another document identified by footnotes. A number of measures are included that may not have been supported by quantitative research but are being used by states and local agencies. These are included to inform practitioners of the array of tools being used or explored.
The introductory materials developed by the U.S. DOT TWG present an excellent perspective on the functioning of a highway-rail grade crossing. TWG notes that a highway-rail grade crossing differs from a highway-highway intersection in that the train always has the right of way. From this perspective, TWG indicates that the process for deciding what type of highway traffic control device is to be installed or even allowing that a highway-rail grade crossing should exist is essentially a two-step process, requiring consideration of what information the vehicle driver needs to be able to cross safely and whether the resulting driver response to a traffic control device is “compatible” with the intended system operating characteristics of the highway and railroad facility.
The TWG guidance outlines the technical considerations for satisfying motorist needs, including the role of stopping sight distance, approach (corner) sight distance, and clearing sight distance, and integrates this with highway system needs based upon the type and classification of the roadway as well as the allowable track speeds by class of track for the railway system. This handbook describes tools and analytical methodologies as well as treatments and criteria from a variety of sources for selecting treatments; the TWG document and its introduction should be consulted by persons involved with studies of grade crossing safety issues and improvements.
These treatments are provided for consideration at every public highway-rail grade crossing. Specific MUTCD signs and treatments are included for easy reference.

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