Naghdi Mohsen, Lautala Pasi, Erfani Abdolmajid
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA.
Heliyon. 2024 Nov 13;10(22):e40347. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40347. eCollection 2024 Nov 30.
In 2022, 2034 incidents occurred at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) in the United States, posing significant risks such as fatalities, injuries, and property damage. These incidents underscore the need for effective prevention and mitigation strategies. With over 212,000 public and private HRGCs nationwide, safety monitoring is challenging, as traditional inspections primarily rely on manual assessments. Obstructed sightlines at HRGCs further increase safety risks by limiting road users' ability to see approaching trains. Although previous studies have addressed behavioral and safety issues, the literature currently lacks quantitative data analysis of sightlines at HRGCs. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing remote sensing techniques to identify and quantify sightline visibility. We studied 12 HRGCs using geospatial analysis in ArcGIS Pro through Viewshed and Observer Points analysis, integrating United States Geological Survey (USGS) Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data with United States Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) crossing reports. Our findings indicate that sightline issues in the case studies reviewed are primarily linked to traffic control devices, environmental factors, and geometric conditions. Additionally, the results suggest that USGS LiDAR data and geospatial analysis offer potentially rapid and cost-effective methods for identifying sightline safety issues at HRGCs.
2022年，美国公路-铁路平交道口（HRGCs）发生了2034起事故，造成了人员伤亡、财产损失等重大风险。这些事故凸显了采取有效预防和缓解策略的必要性。美国全国有超过21.2万个公共和私人公路-铁路平交道口，由于传统检查主要依靠人工评估，安全监测具有挑战性。公路-铁路平交道口视线受阻，限制了道路使用者观察驶来列车的能力，进一步增加了安全风险。尽管先前的研究已经探讨了行为和安全问题，但目前的文献缺乏对公路-铁路平交道口视线的定量数据分析。本研究旨在通过利用遥感技术识别和量化视线可见性来填补这一空白。我们通过在ArcGIS Pro中使用地理空间分析，通过视域和观察点分析，将美国地质调查局（USGS）的光探测和测距（LiDAR）数据与美国联邦铁路管理局（FRA）的道口报告相结合，对12个公路-铁路平交道口进行了研究。我们的研究结果表明，在所审查的案例研究中，视线问题主要与交通控制设备、环境因素和几何条件有关。此外，结果表明，美国地质调查局的LiDAR数据和地理空间分析为识别公路-铁路平交道口的视线安全问题提供了潜在的快速且经济高效的方法。
