exempt crossing

[mokenarr]

 Was driving to Tucson AZ Saturday down route 79 and crossed a railroad crossing that while gate protected the warning sign and under the cross bar had the word exempt on them.  the tracks had a gate crossing both sides of the street.  Any idea what this means?

 Thanks

 

 

 

 

[Anonymous]

An "Exempt" sign is applied to some railroad crossings to indicate that school buses and trucks carrying hazardous materials are not required to stop and look for trains before crossing. This doesn't always mean the line is embargoed or abandoned, sometimes they could block a dangerous intersection while stopping for the crossing, which is ruled to be "more dangerous" than a train-vehicle collision. I believe this is decided by a court of some kind. Others are welcome to elaborate.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

More usually 'formally' decided by the state's public utility, railroad, or 'corporation' commission, or a similar name, etc. - but practically decided by the request of the state's DOT based on the results of a traffic engineering study. Typically such crossings are on low-speed branch lines with only 1 or 2 trains a day - or less, which may also run mostly at night, etc. The judgment is that the risk of rear-end collisions and traffic delays, etc. as a result of those mandatory stops would be worse than the slight risk of a low-speed train-vehicle collision, etc. - essentially a 'balancing' / trade-off test / analysis risk management decision.

- Paul North.

[mudchicken]

Paul_D_North_Jr

More usually 'formally' decided by the state's public utility, railroad, or 'corporation' commission, or a similar name, etc. - but practically decided by the request of the state's DOT based on the results of a traffic engineering study. Typically such crossings are on low-speed branch lines with only 1 or 2 trains a day - or less, which may also run mostly at night, etc. The judgment is that the risk of rear-end collisions and traffic delays, etc. as a result of those mandatory stops would be worse than the slight risk of a low-speed train-vehicle collision, etc. - essentially a 'balancing' / trade-off test / analysis risk management decision.

- Paul North.

what he said

[Boyd]

 The Minnesota Zephyr here in town has "EXEMPT" on all of its crossings since last summer. They last ran a train 12-31-08. Still waiting to hear if a group from Colorado has bought it.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

 From the US DOT Federal HighWay Adminstration's -

Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Handbook - Revised Second Edition August 2007

Section 4: Identification of Alternatives

at - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/xings/com_roaduser/07010/sec04a.htm , at the middle and near the bottom of that web page:

R15-3

8B.05, 10C.10

Exempt

School buses and commercial vehicles that are usually required to stop at crossings are not required to do so where authorized by ordinance.

 “Exempt” sign (R15-3, W-10-1a). When authorized by law or regulation, a supplemental “Exempt” (R15-3) sign with a white background bearing the word EXEMPT may be used below the crossbuck sign or “Number of Tracks” sign, if present, at the highway-rail grade crossing, and a supplemental “Exempt” (W10-1a) sign with a yellow background bearing the word EXEMPT may be used below the highway-rail advance warning (W10-1) sign. These supplemental signs inform drivers of vehicles carrying passengers for hire, school buses carrying students, or vehicles carrying hazardous materials that a stop is not required at certain designated highway-rail grade crossings, except when a train, locomotive, or other railroad equipment is approaching or occupying the highway-rail grade crossing or the driver's view is blocked.

- Paul North. 

[samfp1943]

To add to what Paul North has posted and MC had seconded.

The feature of an EXEMPTED crossing has since March 15,1999 when a southbound AMTRAK #59 ( CITY ofNew Orleans) struck a truck at Bourbonaise,Il. Taken on a new meaning for professional drivers.

Linked here is a good resource,if interested: 

 http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/features/bourbonnais/home.html

This particular crash, and its severity (14 killed, many children), and the egregiousness of the act of the truck driver in trying to beat a train to the crossing; shook up many regulatory individuals.

 The legislative aftermath brought about reforms at the Federal level that increased the punishments and fines for truckers ( Specifically, those who held Federally mandated, Commercial Driver's Liscenses~CDL's)

  Ignoring a railroad crossing more than once could lead to a revocation of one's CDL. Just to name one.

  The fines and penalties were almost to a Draconian level for disobedience while holding a CDL, the shame was that enforcement did not extend to orther areas of Driver Liscensing as well ( most here know all too much about the consequences of car/train accidents). 

  One result of this Enforcement was the creation of an Operation Lifesaver video in 2000 called " Your Liscense or Your Life"(to specifically target commercial drivers who were unaware, at that time of the new penalties that were being enforced)  it was made in Georgia, by a cooperative effort with Georgia OLI and The American Trucxking Assoc. (with assist of Ga. Motor Trucking Assoc.). Probably the firdst time such a cooperative effort was made between the AAR(OLI) and the ATA.

 

[tree68]

IIRC, a crossing near here was marked exempt for a while - there was one industry, and I don't think it was getting cars any more.  Since I don't frequent that area I'm not sure if the crossbucks (and exempt sign) remained very long after the switch connecting the line to the main was removed.  I think they were there for a while - at least until the tracks themselves were removed.

As an aside, the siding was at one time part of the mainline of Rome and Watertown (a predecessor of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg), running from Watertown to the line's original terminus of Cape Vincent.  The line was also notable for being one of the only rail lines that ran through a cemetary.

[MP57313]

In SoCal, some cities/areas have specific crossing numbers on the "Exempt" signs.  These two crossings are in Vernon, CA, just south of Los Angeles in the Hobart Yard area.  Pictures are from 12-4-2004

UP crossing (Downey Ave.)

BNSF crossing (26th St.)

[mudchicken]

The number is the CPUC number for the crossing (California PUC) which is similar to and predates the federal DOT Numbers. IIRC (It's been a while) , The first number identifies the railroad, the midle number(s) the milepost locations and the end letter was a check code tied to the branch/subdivision/district. What I do remember was the duplicate number problems in the backtracks and conflicting CA instructions on signage.

[Deggesty]

Seven or eight days ago, I saw (somewhere in Wisconsin; I do not remember just where) an exempt crossing with the added sign "out of service."