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