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Trails Crossing on Active Railroad Lines

One of the most difficult trail facilities to accomplish is a crossing of an active rail line.

by Stuart Macdonald, Trail Consultant, American Trails

There are many examples of trails crossing railroads at grade in both urban and rural situations. The physical ingredients are signs warning trail users, safety messages, and a surface to allow bike and pedestrian movement while accommodating the rails and flangeways. There are several types of crossing surfaces; see http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/xings/xing_surfaces.cfm.

Warning signals and even crossing gates to stop trail users when trains are approaching are also in use. Crossing at right angles to the tracks avoids the hazard of bike tires getting caught in the flangeway grooves. The one real danger is where there are two busy tracks to cross. As soon as a train on their side passes, trail users are ready to cross and may not look to see that another train may be approaching on the far track, obscured from view by the first train.

Users cautioned at trail crossing railroad; Tennessee Riverwalk Trail; Chattanooga, Tennessee

The minimum needed for a rail crossing: trail surface and signs; angled crossing is not optimum; Chattanooga, Tennessee

The concrete trail has built-in culverts to accommodate water in the railroad drainage ditches; Denver's Sanderson Gulch Trail

The Sanderson Gulch Trail moves close to the roadway where it needs to cross the railroad

Highway railroad crossing signals also warn trail users; Minneapolis Cedar Lake Regional Trail

Trail swings around to cross tracks at 90 degree angle; Minneapolis Cedar Lake Regional Trail

Separate treads for walkers and for bicyclists with small RR crossing signs; Minneapolis Cedar Lake Regional Trail

Sign warns trail users that railroad crosses trail at an angle; Minneapolis Cedar Lake Regional Trail

Signs and railroad crossing lights guard trail crossing of Hiawatha light rail corridor; Minneapolis, Minnesota

Walkway from street crossing railroad to access Schuylkill River Trail, Philadelphia

Stop signs and "chicane" gate at railroad crossing; White River Trail, Indianapolis

Railroad crossing on Willamette River Trail in Portland, Oregon

Rural railroad crossing on Poudre River Trail west of Fort Collins, Colorado

Crushed rock is used between the rails for the trail surface at the crossing; Poudre River Trail west of Fort Collins, Colorado

View of trail with railroad crossing ahead; city park in Davenport, Iowa

Trail crosses railroad running thru city park in Davenport, Iowa

Small RR crossing signs on trail leading to Platte River Greenway; Commerce City, Colorado

Asphalt paving at rail crossing on concrete trail that provides access to Platte River Greenway; Commerce City, Colorado

Published November 2019

About the Author

Stuart Macdonald spent 19 years as Colorado's State Trails Coordinator. He is the editor of American Trails Magazine. During 1998-99, he represented State Trail Administrators on the national committee that proposed regulations for accessible trails. He chaired the National Recreational Trails Committee, which advised the Federal Highway Administration in the first years of the Recreational Trails Program. Stuart grew up in San Diego and his main outdoor interest besides trails is surfing. He has a BA in English from San Francisco State and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from Utah State.

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