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Frequently Asked Questions - Part 8 Traffic Controls for Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

The following list of questions relates to the MUTCD Part 8 Traffic Controls for Highway-Rail Grade Crossings:

  1. Some crossbuck signs have a white retroreflective strip on the sign support, and some don't. Shouldn't all crossbuck signs have this strip, to help make the crossings more conspicuous?
  2. Who is responsible for installing the white retroreflective strips on the Crossbuck and its support, the public agency or the railroad?
  3. Is the retroreflective strip also required for use on the highway-rail grade crossing advance warning sign?
  4. Can a YIELD or STOP sign supplement the Crossbuck at passive highway-rail grade crossings?
  5. I understand that there are regulations that require certain commercial vehicles and school buses to stop at all highway-rail grade crossings except those posted as EXEMPT with an R15-3 sign. Who determines whether a grade crossing is exempt from the requirement for certain vehicles to always stop?
  6. At locations where traffic signals are at or near highway-rail grade crossings, how does the MUTCD address the fact that school buses are required to stop at crossings even if the traffic signal shows a green indication?
  7. Why is the "LOOK" sign in Part 8 of the MUTCD black and white rather than black and yellow?
  8. Are there any requirements related to quiet zones and wayside horns in the MUTCD?

Part 8 Traffic Controls for Highway-Rail Grade Crossings: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Q: Some crossbuck signs have a white retroreflective strip on the sign support, and some don't. Shouldn't all crossbuck signs have this strip, to help make the crossings more conspicuous?

A: Yes, and eventually they all will have the strips. The requirement for these strips on both the front and back of crossbuck sign supports was added with the 2000 edition of the MUTCD. At the same time, a requirement was added to place a white retroreflective strip on the back of each blade of the crossbuck sign itself. For details, see Section 8B.03 of the 2003 edition of the MUTCD. The FHWA is allowing a 10-year compliance period (until January 17, 2011) for the installation of these retroreflective white strips to be added to the crossbucks and supports..

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  1. Q: Who is responsible for installing the white retroreflective strips on the Crossbuck and its support, the public agency or the railroad?

A: The responsibility for installation of the strips would be determined by the laws of each State, which may specify either the public agency owning the road or the railroad company as being responsible for installing and maintaining the crossbuck, its support, and other associated devices.

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  1. Q: Is the retroreflective strip also required for use on the highway-rail grade crossing advance warning sign?

A: No, a retroreflective strip is not required on highway-rail grade crossing advance warning signs, such as the W10-1. However, Section 2A.21 indicates that, where engineering judgment indicates a need to draw attention to a warning sign during nighttime conditions, a retroreflective strip of yellow material may be used on the sign support.

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  1. Q: Can a YIELD or STOP sign supplement the Crossbuck at passive highway-rail grade crossings?

A: Yes, Section 8B.08 states, "Option: At the discretion of the responsible State or local highway agency, STOP (R1-1) or YIELD (R1-2) signs may be used at highway-rail grade crossings that have two or more trains per day and are without automatic traffic control devices….Option: For other highway-rail grade crossings with passive warning devices, STOP or YIELD signs may be used based on an engineering study." Also, in March 2006 the FHWA issued a Policy memorandum giving further guidance on this subject. While the Crossbuck sign is in fact a regulatory sign that requires vehicles to yield to trains and stop if necessary, recent research indicates insufficient road user understanding of and compliance with that regulatory requirement when just the Crossbuck sign is present at passive crossings. Therefore, FHWA encourages consideration of the use of YIELD signs in conjunction with the Crossbuck sign at all passive crossings except where train crews always provide flagging to roadway users. Use of STOP signs at passive crossings should be limited to unusual conditions where requiring all vehicles to make a full stop is deemed essential by an engineering study that considers lines of sight, highway and railroad characteristics, crash history, and other factors. Indiscriminate use of the STOP sign at all or many passive grade crossings can cause poor compliance, increasing the risk of collisions associated with a high non-compliance rate. The policy memo may be viewed at: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/policy/yieldstop_guidememo/yieldstop_policy.htm.

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  1. Q: I understand that there are regulations that require certain commercial vehicles and school buses to stop at all highway-rail grade crossings except those posted as EXEMPT with an R15-3 sign. Who determines whether a grade crossing is exempt from the requirement for certain vehicles to always stop?

A: Even if a YIELD sign or just a Crossbuck sign is posted at a highway-rail grade crossing, the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR 392.10) requires drivers of vehicles carrying passengers for hire, school buses carrying students, and vehicles carrying hazardous materials to stop before crossing the tracks. State or local laws or regulations establish which crossings may be posted as "exempt" from this requirement to stop 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.

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  1. Q: At locations where traffic signals are at or near highway-rail grade crossings, how does the MUTCD address the fact that school buses are required to stop at crossings even if the traffic signal shows a green indication?

A: Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations govern the operation of school buses and other types of commercial motor vehicles' operations at highway-rail grade crossings. This is not a MUTCD issue.

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  1. Q: Why is the "LOOK" sign in Part 8 of the MUTCD black and white rather than black and yellow?

A: The LOOK (R15-8) sign is designed as a regulatory sign (black on white) because it reminds road users of the regulatory requirement to look both ways for trains before crossing, and it is placed at the point where this regulation applies, rather than in advance.

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  1. Q: Are there any requirements related to quiet zones and wayside horns in the MUTCD?

A: The quiet zone requirements have been published in a Federal Railroad Administration rulemaking concerning Title 49, Part 222, of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR 222). The MUTCD only contains information on the NO TRAIN HORN (W10-9) sign that shall be installed as a supplemental plaque below the W10-1 advance warning sign at each highway-rail grade crossing where there is a Federal Railroad Administration authorization for trains to not sound a horn. Also, the FHWA issued an Interim Approval (IA-2) in August 2004 allowing the use of wayside horns at grade crossings equipped with active devices under certain conditions. This Interim Approval can be viewed at: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/waysidehorn8204.pdf (PDF 46KB).

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