The ultimate choice for a crossing improvement is determined by balancing the benefits in accident reduction and reduced user costs against costs for the improvement.

This handbook briefly describes how growth of railroads and highways resulted in a proliferation of grade crossings and then discusses the variety of methods developed to warn pedestrians and vehicles of approaching trains. It is aimed primarily at providing railroad, state and municipal personnel with information which can help in cooperative efforts to improve grade crossing safety and efficiency. The book describes conditions and requirements at crossing; facilitates understanding of the elements of crossing systems; provides a compendium of existing grade crossing technology; serves as a guideline to aid in implementing improvements to grade crossings; aids in understanding and applying new technology; and serves as a basic text for training programs.

This Technology Sharing Report sets forth pertinent information on currently available types of grade crossing surfaces as an aid in choosing physically and economically suitable surfaces for individual crossing or groups of crossing to be installed or improved. Trade names and manufacturers' identification are solely for convenience of the user and not endorsements by DOT. Crossing surface products from 22 suppliers and soil stabilization fabrics from 12 manufacturers are discussed.

"TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 755: Comprehensive Costs of Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Crashes describes a process for estimating the costs of highway-rail grade crossing crashes. A spreadsheet-based tool to facilitate use of the cost estimation process is available online." --Publisher description.

TCRP report 155 provides guidelines and descriptions for the design of various common types of light rail transit (LRT) track. The track structure types include ballasted track, direct fixation ("ballastless") track, and embedded track. The report considers the characteristics and interfaces of vehicle wheels and rail, tracks and wheel gauges, rail sections, alignments, speeds, and track moduli. The report includes chapters on vehicles, alignment, track structures, track components, special track work, aerial structures/bridges, corrosion control, noise and vibration, signals, traction power, and the integration of LRT track into urban streets.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 672: Roundabouts: An Informational Guide - Second Edition explores the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of roundabouts. The report also addresses issues that may be useful in helping to explain the trade-offs associated with roundabouts. This report updates the U.S. Federal Highway Administration's Roundabouts: An Informational Guide, based on experience gained in the United States since that guide was published in 2000.

This synthesis will be of interest to state and local highway personnel who are responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of road surfaces and to railroad personnel with similar responsibilities associated with highway-rail grade crossings. It will also be of interest to manufacturers and suppliers of pavement and track materials for crossings. It presents information on the current practices related to highway-rail grade crossing surfaces, including the design and selection of crossing surface materials. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes the various types of highway- rail crossing surfaces, and the issues related to design, operation, and maintenance. Design elements include intersection geometry; drainage; special users, such as bicyclists; and descriptions of failures and their causes. Information is presented on crossing material selection factors, including life-cycle costs and on state practices in selection. Funding issues are also discussed.

HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZING MODEL DEVELOPMENT Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Identification and Prioritizing Model Development develops an optimization model and heuristic. This seminal work expertly allocates monetary resources between public highway-rail grade crossings in the State of Tennessee. Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Identification and Prioritizing Model Development applies particular countermeasures. These countermeasures aim to decrease the total number of severe to fatal road accidents with respect to budget available.