Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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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 2006
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 8,889
Transit only 18,323 17,413 19,283 16,941 15,737 16,025 15,763 9,505 8,010 8,440 7,999 8,713
Grade crossing 127 134 119 106 140 148 101 398 276 311 535 176
Light rail, total 1,276 1,350 1,173 1,121 1,182 1,319 1,299 1,105 983 931 1,130 1,138
Transit only 1,178 1,253 1,107 1,055 1,079 1,213 1,245 785 766 693 689 1,041
Grade crossing 98 97 66 66 103 106 54 320 217 238 441 97
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 6,176
Transit only 14,325 13,746 15,146 13,513 12,195 12,781 12,398 7,076 5,553 6,221 5,740 6,173
Grade crossing 2 2 5 3 1 1 8 2 1 1 1 3
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 1,575
Transit only 2,820 2,414 3,030 2,373 2,463 2,031 2,120 1,644 1,691 1,526 1,570 1,499
Grade crossing 27 35 48 37 36 41 39 76 58 72 93 76

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, June 14, 2007, June 18, 2008.