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Chapter 10B. Highway-Light Rail Transit Grade Crossing Control Systems

Section 10B.01 Introduction

Support:
The combination of devices selected or installed at a specific highway-light rail transit grade crossing is referred to as a Light Rail Transit Traffic Control System.

For the safety and integrity of operations by highway and light rail transit users, the highway agency with jurisdiction, the regulatory agency with statutory authority, if applicable, and the light rail transit authority jointly determine the need and selection of traffic control devices and the assignment of priority to light rail transit at a highway-light rail transit grade crossing.

The normal rules of the road and traffic control priority identified in the Uniform Vehicle Code govern the order assigned to the movement of vehicles at an intersection unless the local agency determines that it is appropriate to assign a higher priority to light rail transit. Examples of different types of light rail transit priority control include separate traffic control signal phases for light rail transit movements, restriction of movement of roadway vehicles in favor of light rail transit operations, and preemption of highway traffic signal control to accommodate light rail transit movements.

Standard:
Highway-light rail transit grade crossings in semiexclusive alignments shall be equipped with a combination of automatic gates and flashing-light signals, or flashing-light signals only, or traffic control signals, unless an engineering study indicates that the use of STOP, YIELD, or advance warning signs alone would be adequate.

Option:
Highway-light rail transit grade crossings in mixed-use alignments may be equipped with traffic control signals unless an engineering study indicates that the use of STOP, YIELD, or advance warning signs alone would be adequate.

Support:
Section 10C.04 describes the appropriate conditions for the use of STOP or YIELD signs alone at a highway-light rail transit grade crossing.

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