Rail

Analysis Toward Mitigation of Congestion and Conflicts at Light Rail Grade Crossings and Intersections

Li, Meng
Wu, Guoyuan
Johnston, Scott
Zhang, Wei-Bin
2009

Although many different railroad grade crossing control products are available, the most challenging limitation to traditional grade crossing systems is their inability to deliver consistent warning times in response to varying train speeds and station stops (particularly nearside stops). As a result, rail-roadway crossings often generate conflicts and congestion for motorist traffic and sometimes delay trains.By conducting system level analysis, this project will investigate the interactions and conflicts between urban/suburban rail and cross traffic. The information that is obtained will...

Evaluation of Truck and Bus Automation Scenarios: Operations Cost Analysis

Botha, Jan
Day, Jennifer E.
Adibhatla, Nagabhargavi
2004

Automated bus and truck systems hold the potential to improve road safety by eliminating some human error, increase the vehicle throughput by allowing vehicle convoying to shorten headways, and reduce costs associated with infrastructure, user time, and drivers. In this study, an automated bus system (ABUS) was compared with more-conventional light rail and bus-on-dedicated-lane (BDL) alternatives. A cost comparison (excluding accident costs) was also made among an automated freight trucking system (AHS-Truck), a no-build base condition, and configurations involving the addition of a...

Smart Parking Management Field Test: A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District Parking Demonstration

Shaheen, Susan A., PhD
Rodier, Caroline, PhD
2006

Smart parking management technologies may provide a cost-effective tool to address near-term parking constraints at transit stations. Smart parking management systems have been implemented in numerous European, British, and Japanese cities to more efficiently use parking capacity at transit stations by providing real-time information via changeable message signs to motorists about available parking spaces in park-and-ride lots. This working paper describes the interim results of a smart parking field operational test, which operated at a San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District...

Relieve Congestion and Conflicts Between Railroad and Light Rail Grade-Crossing Intersections

Zhang, Wei-Bin
Li, Meng
Wu, Guoyuan
Zhou, Kun
Bu, Fanping
2010

This report specifically summarizes the work that the PATH team has performed at this stage of Task Order 6407 in continuation of previous Task Order 5407. We have conducted an in-depth study of problems associated with grade crossingsfor this project.We started from the system design based on the proposed adaptive trolley signal priority (ATSP) system. The system is designed for large-scale field implementation of the ATSP system. It consists of three sub-systems: onboard sub-system, roadside control sub-system and central control sub-system. The system input and output diagram is based...

Smart Parking Pilot on the Coaster Commuter Rail Line in San Diego, California

Rodier, Caroline
Shaheen, Susan A.
Blake, Tagan
2010

Public transit authorities increasingly are harnessing advances in sensor, payment, and enforcement technologies to operate parking facilities more efficiently. In the short term, these innovations promise to enhance customer parking experiences, increase the effective supply of existing parking with minimal investment, and increase ridership and overall revenue. Over the longer term, these systems could further expand ridership by generating revenue to add parking capacity and improve access. This report describes the Smart Parking Pilot Project on the COASTER commuter rail line in San...

Median Light Rail Crossing: Accident Causation And Countermeasures

Coifman, Benjamin
Bertini, Robert L.
1997

This paper focuses on accident causation and countermeasures at arterial median light rail grade crossings. It synthesizes accident causation and prevention literature from several fields, including traffic engineering, human factors and cognitive psychology, as it relates to the complex LRT grade crossing.

Integrated Smart Feeder / Shuttle Bus Service

Ceder, Avishai
Yim, Youngbin
2003

This paper presents the design of an integrated smart feeder/shuttle system. The design of such a system was motivated by the need to provide easy access to main haul transit services. Park and ride lots in many train stations can no longer accommodate automobiles brought to the stations. Some train riders have switched their mode of transportation from public transit to solo driving. Shortage of parking spaces at rail stations encourages passengers to drive alone, hence more cars on freeways and worsening traffic congestion. The purpose of this study is to design an innovative feeder/...

Intermodal Transportation Operation System ( ITOS ) For The State Of California

Hall, Randolph
Parekh, Chethan
Thakker, Viral
1998

Intermodal transportation entails the coordinated movement of different types of transportation (rail, truck, automobile, etc.) to serve the needs of travelers and shippers. The purpose of this report is to provide a vision for systems to coordinate intermodal operations in California in the future, and also to document the types of systems that are being used today in a range of transportation modes. An intermodal system could, conceivably, establish a center (or centers) that is responsible for the joint operation of multiple modes of transportation. This is not our preferred vision....

Demand-Responsive Transit Shuttles: Who Will Use Them?

Anspacher, David
Khattak, Asad J.
Yim, Youngbin
2004

Large urban areas often have rail systems that rely on feeder buses to expand their service area. This paper explores the possibility of expanding access to existing rail transit systems through demand-responsive shuttles. The study analyzes the effect of several factors on an individual's willingness to use a door-to-station shuttle service. Using survey data collected in a case study of one urban and one suburban neighborhood (N=800) served by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit, this paper uses descriptive statistics and ordered logit regression to investigate the influence of...

Small and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (SB/DBE) Issues in Caltrans Contract and Bid Process

Tommelein, Iris D. PhD
Gazzaniga, Tyler
2022

This Preliminary Investigation document, on one hand, outlines challenges encountered by SB/DBEs in the process of getting certified, entering into a contract, executing on projects or delivering services, and sustaining or growing their business. On the other hand, it summarizes OCR’s current ongoing efforts that are aiming to expand contracting with SB/DBEs. Along the way it identifies opportunities that warrant more in-depth investigation for OCR to target its programming and resource allocation as it aims to reduce obstacles or otherwise improve the ability of SBs/DBEs to successfully...