December 3, 2007
IPS State-of-the-Art Rail Crossing Barricades Being Tested in
Wayne County
Denton Road in Wayne County's Van Buren Township is
the first location in the United States to be equipped with unique retractable
barricades that serve as warning devices at a railroad crossing. The
barricades, or "bollards," will rise from the pavement and
discourage drivers from driving around lowered crossing gate arms when
a train is approaching.
The bollards are part of a federal railroad crossing safety test sponsored
by the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration,
and the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), in cooperation with the Federal
Highway Administration. Starting in December, the Denton Road system,
located on NS tracks, will be activated and monitored by cameras during
a 17-month test period that lasts until spring 2009.
"Transportation officials throughout the nation will be watching
as we evaluate this new technology aimed at protecting people and saving
lives," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "We
believe the barriers have great life-saving potential for those motorists
who make a quick, poor decision, and attempt to drive around lowered
gates. This may be the solution to discourage 'gate running.'"
Intelligent Perimeter Systems (IPS), a developer of traffic control
systems, recently completed installation of the barrier system. The retractable
bollards are housed in self-contained, modular cartridges recessed in
the ground. They are electronically deployed at the crossing when a train
is approaching to discourage vehicles from driving around the crossing
gates.
"Considering that accidents at railroad crossings occur approximately
every three hours in the U.S., it is critical these grade crossings have
the best safety measures in place to prevent tragedies from occurring," said
IPS President Mike Korodi. "With the recent installation of the
Denton Road safety project, drivers and pedestrians in this area will
be better protected with the assistance of these state-of-the-art safety
barriers."
The bollards reach their full deployment in about six seconds, are
activated by a signal from the crossing gate system, and rise up just
following the lowering of the gate arms. They are implanted in the road
in an L-shaped pattern on both sides of the east/westbound tracks and
along the centerline. All bollards are reflective, and in addition, the
ones along the track line are lit for better visibility. The system’s
fully redundant design with no single point of failure ensures the system
works even if one delineator fails.
Wayne County maintains Denton Road and volunteered the intersection
for the project.
"Quality of life is paramount in Wayne County. That's why we're honored
to host the rail-safety project," said Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.
Denton Road is located on the Pontiac/Detroit/Chicago high-speed rail corridor
which includes Amtrak service. There are also approximately 14 daily freight
trains.
In 2006, there were 72 train/vehicle crashes in Michigan, including
11 fatal crashes and 19 injuries. Of the 72 crashes, 27 were at gated
crossings.
For more information on the Michigan Department of Transportation, visit www.michigan.gov/mdot.
Editor's Note:
Media is invited to attend a demonstration of the activated barricades
at the Denton Road/NS crossing - located between Michigan Avenue and
Ecorse Road near Belleville - on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Janet Foran, MDOT Office of Communications, 517-335-7176
Mike Hogan, Intelligent Perimeter Systems, 614-506-2570
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