Adjustment of Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold

AGENCY:

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice of adjustment of Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold.

SUMMARY:

FRA is updating the Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT) for purposes of FRA's regulation on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. This action is needed to ensure the public has the proper permissible risk threshold to evaluate risk resulting from prohibiting routine locomotive horn sounding at highway-rail grade crossings located in quiet zones. This is the ninth update to the NSRT and it is increasing from 13,811 to 15,488.

DATES:

The applicable date of this notice is January 8, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James Payne, Staff Director, Highway-Rail Crossing and Trespasser Programs Division (telephone: 202-493-6005, email: james.payne@dot.gov); or Kathryn Gresham, Attorney Adviser, Office of the Chief Counsel (telephone: 202-493-6063, email: kathryn.gresham@dot.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The NSRT is an average of the risk indexes for gated public crossings nationwide where train horns are routinely sounded. FRA developed this risk index to serve as one threshold of permissible risk for quiet zones established across the nation under 49 CFR part 222, Use of Locomotive Horns at Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. Thus, a community trying to establish and/or maintain its quiet zone, under 49 CFR part 222, can compare the Quiet Zone Risk Index calculated for its specific crossing corridor to the NSRT to determine whether sufficient measures have been taken to compensate for the excess risk that results from prohibiting routine sounding of the locomotive horn. In the alternative, a community can establish its quiet zone in comparison to the Risk Index With Horns, which is defined in 49 CFR 222.9 as a measure of risk to the motoring public when locomotive horns are routinely sounded at every public highway-rail grade crossing within a quiet zone.

FRA has periodically updated the NSRT since 2006. FRA last updated the NSRT in 2019 to be 13,811. 84 FR 22562, May 17, 2019.

New NSRT

Using collision data over a 5-year period from 2015 to 2019, FRA has recalculated the NSRT based on formulas identified in 49 CFR part 222, appendix D. In making this recalculation, FRA noted the total number of gated crossings nationwide where train horns are routinely sounded was 48,607.

Applying the fatality rate and injury rate to the probable number of fatalities and injuries predicted to occur at each of the 48,607 identified crossings, and the predicted cost of the associated injuries and fatalities, FRA calculates the NSRT to be 15,488. Accordingly, this updated NSRT value will serve as one threshold of permissible risk for quiet zones established across the nation pursuant to 49 CFR part 222.