Who is responsible for crossing signals and safety devices?
Railroads are usually privately owned. Local public works departments coordinate the installation of crossing signals and safety devices with the railroad company. The public works department requests signals and safety/warning devices and lines up money to pay for them. The railroad installs and maintains them. The public works department can request federal money to pay for the cost of signal installation. When is grade separation required? Grade separation is required for new road construction and recommended for existing grade crossings when “design thresholds” are exceeded. Design thresholds look at the number of cars and trains traveling through the crossing, train speeds, the number and type of tracks, and how many road lanes there are. How much does grade separation cost? Grade separation is expensive and can be disruptive to neighborhoods, if businesses or homes adjacent to the intersection must be condemned or relocated. Creating grade separation at a single crossing can easi
