BTS | Table 2-33b: Transit and Grade-Crossing Fatalities by Rail Transit Mode

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) - Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) - United States Department of Transportation (USDOT, US DOT or DOT)

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Table 2-33b: Transit and Grade-Crossing Fatalities by Rail Transit Mode

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	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
All transit rail, total	186	152	159	171	196	197	167	202	143	167	159
Transit only	169	145	147	145	175	177	154	178	122	138	101
Grade crossing	17	7	12	26	21	20	13	24	21	29	58
Light rail, total	15	6	3	23	17	30	21	13	17	22	19
Transit only	N	N	N	N	N	18	20	12	13	12	9
Grade crossing	N	N	N	N	N	12	1	1	4	10	10
Heavy rail, total	79	74	77	54	84	80	59	73	49	59	35
Transit only	N	N	N	N	N	80	58	73	48	58	35
Grade crossing	N	N	N	N	N	0	1	0	1	1	0
Commuter rail, total	92	72	79	94	95	87	87	116	77	86	105
Transit only	N	N	N	N	N	79	76	93	61	68	57
Grade crossing	N	N	N	N	N	8	11	23	16	18	48

KEY: N = data do not exist

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.