Since 2009, the number of grade-crossing crashes and  fatalities remains at around 2,100 crashes and 250 fatalities a year. These fatalities typically make up less than one percent of all highway- related fatalities. FRA Has Focused Research on Understanding and Addressing Risky Behavior by Drivers at Grade Crossings

		Research Sought to Identify Risk Factors at Grade Crossings and Understand Driver Behavior

In its role overseeing grade-crossing safety, FRA has sponsored a  number of research efforts to better understand the causes of grade- crossing crashes and identify potential ways to improve engineering,  education, and enforcement efforts. According to FRA officials, FRA is using the results of this recent in-depth  data analysis to, in part, evaluate whether additional risk factors, such as  the number of male drivers or trains carrying toxic materials, should be  added to the model. According to  FRA’s accident data, in 2017, 71 percent of fatal crashes at public grade  crossings occurred at those with gates. FRA, FHWA, and officials from one state we interviewed said they  anticipate that such technology will be critical to further improving safety. Only one of the eight states in our review used  the system as its primary source for ranking grade-crossing risk. In addition, FRA expects its grade-crossing  inspectors as part of their inspections to review and identify issues with  the railroad- and state-reported inventory data. Finally, FRA is currently developing  guidelines for the grade-crossing inspections similar to those for other  FRA safety disciplines. States Reported Challenges Implementing Certain Project Types and Measuring Projects’ Effectiveness, and FHWA’s Efforts to Assess the Program’s Effectiveness Have Limitations

		The Program’s Requirements and Other Challenges Cited by States Contribute to the Selection of Active- Warning Equipment Projects over Other Projects

About 75 percent of all Section 130 Program projects states implemented  in fiscal year 2016 involved installing or updating active grade-crossing  equipment, including warning lights and protective gates (see fig. Finally, many state officials cited challenges in measuring the  effectiveness of grade crossing projects in reducing crashes or the risk of  crashes. In particular, state officials we spoke to said it can be difficult to  use before-and-after crash statistics as a measure of effectiveness  because of the low number and random nature of crashes. Yet crashes continue to occur at  these improved grade crossings. There could be ways to evaluate the program in a more  comprehensive way; many state DOT officials we interviewed told us  such a comprehensive evaluation could help improve program  effectiveness in a number of ways, including by enabling the program to  better keep up with the rapid pace of technological change and re- examining eligibility requirements that limit the flexibility of states to  consider other types of projects beyond engineering. However,  the officials said that FHWA has not conducted a program evaluation of  the Section 130 Program to consider whether the program’s funding and  other requirements allow states to adequately address ongoing safety  issues such as driver behavior. FHWA officials said the fact that crashes and fatalities have held steady  while the volume of train and vehicle traffic has increased is an indication  that grade-crossing safety has continued to improve. An  evaluation of the program’s requirements could help determine whether  Congress should consider better ways to focus federal funds to address  the key factor in crashes—risky driver behavior. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report examines (1) what has been the focus of Federal Railroad  Administration’s (FRA) grade-crossing-safety research, (2) how states  select and implement grade-crossing projects and what railroad- and  state-reported data are available from FRA to inform states’ decisions,  and (3) the challenges states reported in implementing and assessing  projects and the extent to which the Federal Highway Administration  (FHWA) assesses the program’s effectiveness. We selected eight states as part of our non-generalizable sample for  interviews. The states were  selected to include a mix of state experiences based on a variety of  factors, including the number of grade crossings and crashes at those  crossings, and the amount of Section 130 Program funding they received. We also considered geographical  diversity and recommendations from FRA and FHWA officials. Finally, to determine the challenges states reported in implementing and  assessing grade-crossing safety projects and the extent to which FHWA  assesses the program’s effectiveness, we reviewed program  requirements and state project data and other components from FHWA’s  2016 and 2018 Section 130 Program biennial reports to Congress.
Why GAO Did This Study

Crashes at highway-rail grade crossings are one of the leading causes of railroad-related deaths. According to FRA data, in 2017, there were more than 2,100 crashes resulting in 273 fatalities. Since 2009 crashes have occurred at a fairly constant rate. The federal government provides states funding to improve grade-crossing safety through FHWA's Section 130 Program. The persistence of crashes and deaths raises questions about the effectiveness of the federal grade-crossing-safety program.
GAO was asked to review federal efforts to improve grade-crossing safety. This report examines: (1) the focus of FRA's grade-crossing-safety research, (2) how states select and implement grade-crossing projects and what data are available from FRA to inform their decisions, and (3) the challenges states reported in implementing and assessing projects and the extent to which FHWA assesses the program's effectiveness. GAO analyzed FRA data; reviewed FRA's, FHWA's, and states' documents; reviewed a study of states' selection of projects; and interviewed FRA and FHWA headquarters and field staff, and officials from a non-generalizable sample of eight states, selected to include a mix in the number of grade crossings and crashes, and geographic diversity.

What GAO Found

Research sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has identified driver behavior as the main cause of highway-rail grade crossing crashes and that factors such as train and traffic volume can contribute to the risk of a crash. (See figure.) Over 70 percent of fatal crashes in 2017 occurred at grade crossings with gates.
To meet the requirements of the federal grade-crossing program, states are responsible for selecting and ensuring the implementation of grade-crossing improvement projects. Most state DOT officials and other relevant transportation officials use local knowledge of grade crossings to supplement the results of models that rank grade crossings based on the risk of an accident. These states generally consider the same primary risk factors, such as vehicle and train traffic. FRA is taking steps to improve the data used in its model to help states assess risk factors at grade crossings. For example, FRA's grade-crossing inspectors will review and identify issues with railroad- and state-reported inventory data. FRA is currently developing guidelines, which it plans to finalize by the end of 2018, to implement these inspections as it has for other types of FRA inspections.
Officials we spoke with in eight states reported challenges in pursuing certain types of projects that could further enhance safety, in part because of federal requirements. While safety has improved, many crashes occur at grade crossings with gates, and officials said there could be additional ways to focus program requirements to continue improving safety. States' and the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) reporting focuses on the program's funding and activity, such as the number and types of projects, yet the low number of crashes makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of projects in reducing crashes and fatalities. FHWA reports the program has been effective in reducing fatalities by about 74 percent since 1975. However, since 2009, annually there have been about 250 fatalities—almost one percent of total highway fatalities. FRA expects future crashes to grow, in part, due to the anticipated increase in rail and highway traffic. An evaluation of the program should consider whether its funding and other requirements allow states to adequately address ongoing safety issues. FHWA officials said they are not required to perform such evaluations. GAO has previously reported on the importance of program evaluations to determine the extent to which a program is meeting its objectives. An evaluation of the program could lead FHWA to identify changes that could allow states to more strategically address problem areas.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that FHWA evaluate the program's requirements to determine if they allow states the flexibility to address ongoing safety issues. The Department of Transportation concurred with GAO's recommendation.