BTS | Table 2-33d: Transit and Grade-Crossing Incidents by Rail Transit Mode

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Table 2-33d: Transit and Grade-Crossing Incidents by Rail Transit Mode

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	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
All transit rail, total	18,450	17,547	19,402	17,047	15,877	16,173	15,864	9,903	8,286	8,751	8,534
Transit only	18,323	17,413	19,283	16,941	15,737	16,025	15,763	9,505	8,010	8,440	7,999
Grade crossing	127	134	119	106	140	148	101	398	276	311	535
Light rail, total	1,276	1,350	1,173	1,121	1,182	1,319	1,299	1,105	983	931	1,130
Transit only	1,178	1,253	1,107	1,055	1,079	1,213	1,245	785	766	693	689
Grade crossing	98	97	66	66	103	106	54	320	217	238	441
Heavy rail, total	14,327	13,748	15,151	13,516	12,196	12,782	12,406	7,078	5,554	6,222	5,741
Transit only	14,325	13,746	15,146	13,513	12,195	12,781	12,398	7,076	5,553	6,221	5,740
Grade crossing	2	2	5	3	1	1	8	2	1	1	1
Commuter rail, total	2,847	2,449	3,078	2,410	2,499	2,072	2,159	1,720	1,749	1,598	1,663
Transit only	2,820	2,414	3,030	2,373	2,463	2,031	2,120	1,644	1,691	1,526	1,570
Grade crossing	27	35	48	37	36	41	39	76	58	72	93

NOTES

Light rail and heavy rail grade crossings are regulated by the Federal Transit Administration. The Federal Transit Adminstration defines two types of grade crossings: (1) At grade, mixed, and cross traffic crossings, meaning railway right-of-way over which other traffic moving in the same direction or other cross directions may pass. This includes city street right-of-way; (2) At grade with cross traffic crossings, meaning railway right-of-way over which no other traffic may pass, except to cross at grade-level crossings. This can include median strip rights-of-way with grade level crossings at intersecting streets.

Commuter rail grade crossings are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration. The Federal Railroad Administration defines a grade crossing as a location where a public highway, road, street, or private roadway, including associated sidewalks and pathways, crosses one or more railroad tracks at grade.

Data thresholds changed for certain elements beginning with 2002. The extreme drop in the incidents, injuries, collisions, and not otherwise classifieds (personal casualties) for 2002 is due to the change of the incident thresholds, specifically the definition of injuries, in the NTD. The injury definition was changed for the 2002 revision of the NTD to coincide with other USDOT modes. Only incidents involving immediate medical treatment away from the scene now qualify as reportable injuries. Previously, any reported incident/injury was reported to NTD. It was felt that this resulted in the collection of claims-based as opposed to safety-based data.

SOURCE

1995-2005: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Transit Safety and Security Statistics and Analysis Annual Report, (Washington, DC: Annual issues), Internet site http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/ as of Apr. 5, 2006, and personal communications June 8, 2005, Apr. 5, 2006, and June 14, 2007.