4 Colo. Code Regs. § 723-7-7201

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 1, January 10, 2025

Section 4 CCR 723-7-7201 - Definitions

The following definitions apply only in the context of rules 7200 through 7214, 7301, and 7327.

(a) "Accident report" means the U.S. Department of Transportation Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Accident/Incident Report containing information about accidents/incidents that have occurred at a highway-rail or pathway grade crossing available from the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis.

(b) "Active warning" means traffic control devices and equipment that are activated upon the detected presence of a train including but not limited to, flashing light signals, with or without warning gates, traffic signals, queue cutter signals, wayside horns, and/or blank-out signals that are used to regulate, warn and inform highway or pathway users of the approach or presence of rail traffic at grade crossings.

(c) "Advance preemption" means "advance preemption" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(d) "Advance preemption time" means the period of time that is the difference between the required maximum highway traffic signal preemption time and the activation of the railroad or rail fixed guideway system active warning devices.

(e) "Advance warning sign" means a MUTCD W10-1, W10-2, W10-3, and/or W10-4 sign that gives notice to highway and/or pathway users of the presence of an upcoming crossing.

(f) "ADT" means average daily traffic.

(g) "Arterial" means "arterial," as that term is used in Chapter 1 (Highway Functions) of the AASHTO Green Book.

(h) "Buffer time" means a discretionary time that may be provided in the total warning time to accommodate for minor variations in train handling, track circuit variability and allowable tolerance within locomotive speed measurement apparatus.

(i) "Clear storage distance" means "clear storage distance" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(j) "Clearance time" means additional time included in the total warning time to account for crossing site specific needs including, but not limited to, widths at multiple track crossings, additional gate delay time, and additional time for simultaneous preemption.

(k) "Collector" means "collector," as that term is used in Chapter 1 (Highway Functions) of the AASHTO Green Book.

(l) "Crossing" means either a highway-rail crossing or a pathway crossing.

(m) "Crossing safety diagnostic" means a gathering of safety and traffic professionals at an existing or proposed highway-rail or pathway crossing including Commission staff and representatives from the road authority and railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, transit agency, or owner of the track to evaluate the highway-rail crossing or pathway crossing conditions or proposed conditions and determine the appropriate safety mitigation measures for the existing or proposed highway-rail or pathway crossing.

(n) "Cycle length" means "cycle length" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(o) "Dynamic envelope" means "dynamic envelope" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(p) "Dynamic exit gate operating mode" means "dynamic exit gate operating mode" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(q) "Equipment response time" means the time necessary for the active warning equipment to respond to detection of a train.

(r) "Exit gate clearance time" means "exit gate clearance time" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(s) "Exposure factor" means the ADT multiplied by the average daily number of train movements.

(t) "Freeway" means "interstate highway," "other freeway," and "expressway" as those terms are used in Chapter 1 (Highway Functions) of the AASHTO Green Book.

(u) "Highway" means any roadway classified as an arterial, collector, freeway or local road.

(v) "Highway-rail crossing means:

(I) the point at which any public highway may be constructed across the tracks or other facilities of any railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency at, above, or below grade; or

(II) the point at which the tracks or other facilities of any railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency may be constructed across any public highway at, above, or below grade; or

(III) the point at which any public highway may be constructed across private tracks, over which any railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency may operate, at, above, or below grade; or

(IV) the point at which private tracks, over which any railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency may operate, may be constructed across any public highway at, above, or below grade.

(w) "Local road" means "local road" as that term is used in Chapter 1 (Highway Functions) of the 2011 edition of the AASHTO Green Book.

(x) "Maximum highway traffic signal preemption time" means "maximum highway traffic signal preemption time" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(y) "Minimum track clearance distance" means "minimum track clearance distance" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(z) "Minimum warning time" means the least amount of time active warning devices shall operate prior to the arrival of rail traffic at a crossing, which shall be a minimum of 20 seconds.

(aa) "National Inventory Form" means the U.S. Department of Transportation Crossing Inventory Information form containing specific crossing information available from the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis.

(bb) "National Inventory Number" means the U.S. Department of Transportation six digit and one letter crossing identification number assigned to a highway-rail or pathway crossing.

(cc) "Passive warning" means traffic control devices including signs and/or markings that are used to inform, regulate and warn highway or pathway users of the presence of a highway-rail or pathway crossing and the requirement to take appropriate action at the crossing.

(dd) "Pathway" means a general term denoting a public way for purposes of travel by authorized users outside the traveled way and physically separated from a highway by an open space or barrier, either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent alignment. Pathways are intended for use by non-vehicular traffic including pedestrians, bicyclists, and others and use can be shared by more than one type of authorized user. Pathways include shared-use paths, but do not include sidewalks contiguous with, or separated but adjacent to and within 25 feet of highway-rail crossings.

(ee) "Pathway crossing" means:

(I) the point as which any public pathway may be constructed across the tracks or other facilities of any railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency at, above, or below grade; or

(II) the point at which the tracks or other facilities of any railroad, railroad corporation, railroad, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency may be constructed across any public pathway at, above, or below grade; or

(III) the point at which any public pathway may be constructed across private tracks, over which any railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency may operate, at, above, or below grade; or

(IV) the point at which private tracks, over which any railroad, railroad corporation, rail fixed guideway, rail fixed guideway system, or transit agency may operate, may be constructed across any public pathway at, above, or below grade.

(ff) "Pavement marking" means a retroreflectorized white marking in advance of an at-grade crossing that consists of an X, the letters RR as shown in Figure 8B-7 of the MUTCD.

(gg) "Private crossing" means a highway-rail or pathway crossing where the highway or pathway on either side or both sides of the crossing is privately owned, and/or maintained, is intended for use by the owner or by the owner's licenses and invitees, and is not permitted to be used by the public.

(hh) "Public crossing" means a highway-rail or pathway crossing where the highway or pathway on both sides of the crossing is under the jurisdiction of and/or maintained by a road authority and open to public travel.

(ii) "Reasonably adequate facility," except as may be otherwise demonstrated, means the bridge structure designed for purposes of grade separation cost allocation that is designed to include:

(I) for the highway facility:

(A) a rural collector roadway that allows for two 12-foot travel lanes with two 5-foot shoulders; or

(B) a rural arterial roadway that allows for two 12-foot travel lanes with two 8-foot shoulders and an 8-foot pedestrian-bikeway; or

(C) an urban collector roadway that allows for two 12-foot travel lanes with two 10-foot parking lanes and an 8-foot pedestrian-bikeway; or

(D) an urban arterial roadway that allows for four 12-foot travel lanes with an 11-foot median and an 8-foot pedestrian-bikeway on one side; and

(E) collector roadways shall be designed for a 35 mile per hour design speed and arterial roadways shall be designed for a 45 mile per hour design speed;

(II) for the railroad facility:

(A) a single main line track that allows for one mainline track, one passing track on 15-foot centers and a 12-foot maintenance road under bridge structures on one side, or a 4-foot walkway on bridge structures on one side; or

(B) a double mainline track that allows for two mainline tracks and one passing track on 15-foot centers and a 12-foot maintenance road under bridge structures on one side, or a 4-foot walkway on bridge structures on one side; or

(C) railroad yards or terminals that allow for currently existing tracks and service facilities.

(jj) "Right-of-way transfer time" means "right-of-way transfer time" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(kk) "Rural" means "rural" as that term is used in Chapter 1 (Highway Functions) of the AASHTO Green Book.

(ll) "Separation time" means "separation time" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(mm) "Sidewalk" means "sidewalk" as that term is defined in § 42-1-102(90), C.R.S.

(nn) "Simultaneous preemption" means "simultaneous preemption" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(oo) "Theoretical structure" means the structure and approaches required to transition to the reasonably adequate facility in accordance with the design standards outlined in the CDOT Bridge Design Manual and shall be designed to include the following requirements:

(I) without consideration to the presence of other adjacent highway or waterway facilities located within the limits of the grade separation project that would also require a bridge structure;

(II) using the same selected structure and abutment type as the actual proposed bridge structure;

(III) along the same alignment as the actual proposed bridge structure;

(IV) to the same minimum horizontal and vertical clearances as the actual proposed bridge structure; and

(V) to the CDOT Bridge Design Manual preliminary plan stage (30 percent design stage including construction design and phasing costs).

(pp) "Timed exit gate operating mode" means "timed exit gate operating mode" as that term is defined in Section 1A.13 of the MUTCD.

(qq) "Total warning time" means the sum of the minimum time, clearance time, and buffer time.

(rr) "Urban" means "urban" as that term is used in Chapter 1 (Highway Functions) of the AASHTO Green Book.

(ss) "Utility crossing" means the point at which the tracks or facilities of any public utility may be constructed across the facilities of any other public utility at, above, or below grade, or at the same or different levels.

4 CCR 723-7-7201

40 CR 14, July 25, 2017, effective 8/14/2017

41 CR 14, July 25, 2018, effective 8/14/2018

42 CR 07, April 10, 2019, effective 4/30/2019

45 CR 11, June 10, 2022, effective 6/30/2022

47 CR 07, April 10, 2024, effective 4/30/2024