Two updates related to railway crossing have been approved for the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada (MUTCDC) as the result of recent Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) volunteer projects.
Both projects were completed under the auspices of TAC’s Traffic Operations and Management Standing Committee (TOMSC).
Revised Guidance: Railway Crossing Ahead Signs
One project reviewed guidance about the placement of Railway Crossing Ahead warning signs. The intention was to address inconsistencies between Transport Canada’s Grade Crossings Standards and Section A3.4.2 of the MUTCDC about the use of Railway Crossing Ahead signs (WA-18, WA-19, WA-20).
A survey was conducted to identify existing practices across the country and, as a result, one revision now approved for the MUTCDC addresses using a Railway Crossing Ahead warning sign that depicts skew for situations when the angle of skew of the at-grade crossing exceeds 30 degrees. The second revision states that when both the Railway Crossing Ahead and Stop Ahead signs are installed in advance of an at-grade crossing, the Railway Crossing Ahead sign should always be placed upstream of the Stop Ahead sign.
To encourage harmonized practices across Canada, information about the revisions will be provided to Transport Canada with a recommendation that the Grade Crossing Standards be updated with wording consistent with that in the MUTCDC.
New Sign: Second Train at Railway-Roadway Grade Crossing
When two or more trains are moving at the same time in urban areas or near stations, pedestrians often experience problems with perception. They may be unable to detect the potential presence of a second train on another track.
Following a volunteer effort by TOMSC, a new subsection has been approved for the Warning Signs Division of the MUTCDC to address this issue. The Second Train Event Warning sign with an “ATTENTION 2 TRAINS” tab is intended to alert pedestrians and motorists of the potential presence of a second train at a railway-roadway grade crossing.
TAC’s Editing and Publication Subcommittee will prepare the material from both volunteer projects in an update to the MUTCDC.
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