Planning for events with increased traffic
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Large gatherings and events can cause an uptick in both foot and vehicle traffic around railroad property. Some individuals may use the train as a mode of transportation, while others may just be passing near the tracks to get to their destination. Roadwork and construction projects can also increase activity around the tracks. Having more people in and around the tracks increases the probability of unsafe activity in the area. It is therefore important to develop a plan with the community for ways to mitigate risks and ensure safety.
This goal of this measure is to foster a shared sense of responsibility in reducing trespass incidents, and includes advanced planning among rail carriers, law enforcement, and other community stakeholders located around the railroad tracks. FRA’s Community Trespassing Prevention Guide outlines a problem-solving model for trespass prevention—Community, Analysis, Response and Evaluation (CARE)—that includes recommendations for collaborating with community stakeholders. The CARE model provides a structure to help stakeholders understand and address a specific trespass problem and develop solutions and evaluate their effects; this can also lead to other projects and safety benefits for the community [1]. One important component of the CARE model is maintaining open lines of communication while creating and implementing a plan for events with increased traffic. Understanding roles and responsibilities of all parties is critical for its seamless execution.
Each event or special circumstance may require a unique action plan tailored to its size and location, the time of year, the time of day, and other factors. Identifying potential trespass access points and safe access points can be useful for managing increased vehicle and foot traffic. Other measures can also be helpful, such as enacting speed restrictions for train traffic during the event or positioning additional community members or law enforcement to keep individuals from crossing in unsafe areas (see Related Measures).
Additional search terms: coordination, crowds
Last Reviewed: April 19, 2023
- Consider documenting a plan of action for managing increased traffic in and around the track area. Allow flexibility to tailor the plan for future events and circumstances.
- Clearly designate roles and responsibilities for everyone involved, including individuals involved in initial planning, communication, and implementation.
- Collaboration and risk assessment is relatively low-cost and mostly requires time for stakeholders to design the plan. However, in some instances, details in the final plan may be associated with additional costs.
- In-house staff can be tasked with designing the plan and supporting the railroad’s role during large-scale events.
- This measure takes a proactive approach to ensure safety around the tracks for special events and other circumstances with increased travel by vehicle or on foot within the track area.
- Planning for events with increased traffic can help facilitate relationships between stakeholders, which can lead to additional safety-related benefits to the community and the railroad [4].
- It can be difficult to build consensus among multiple stakeholders throughout the planning process [4].
[1] Federal Railroad Administration. (2011). Community Trespassing Prevention Guide. Washington, DC: Federal Railroad Administration.
Description: This guide outlines a problem-solving model for trespass prevention – Community, Analysis, Response and Evaluation (CARE) – which includes collaboration with community stakeholders that can be applied to a variety of collaboration-based measures.
[2] Federal Highway Administration. (2003). Managing Travel for Planned Special Events Handbook.
Abstract: This handbook presents and recommends policies, regulations, planning and operations processes, impact mitigation strategies, equipment and personnel resources, and technology applications used in the advance planning, management, and monitoring of travel for planned special events.
This handbook was written to assist responsible agencies in managing the ever-increasing number of planned special events impacting transportation system operations in rural, urban, and metropolitan areas. It communicates to a wide audience, assisting readers that possess the following backgrounds: (1) novice planned special event practitioner, (2) experienced planned special event practitioner, (3) local, single-jurisdiction event planning and management, (4) regional, multi-jurisdiction event planning and management
[3] Rails West (n.d.). Railroad Stations become the center of the New Towns. Rails West.
Description: Webpage provides information about the history of railroads, and how towns were built up around them
[4] DaSilva, M., & Ngamdung, T. (2014). Trespass Prevention Research Study-West Palm Beach, FL (No. DOT-VNTSC-FRA-14-02). Washington, DC: Federal Railroad Administration.
Abstract: The United States Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), under the direction of the U.S. DOT Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D), conducted a Trespass Prevention Research Study (TPRS) in the city of West Palm Beach, FL. The main objective of this research was to demonstrate potential benefits, including best practices and lessons learned, of implementation and evaluation of trespass prevention strategies following FRA’s and Transport Canada’s existing trespassing prevention guidance on the rail network in West Palm Beach, FL, and all of its rights-of-way.
This report documents the results of the implementation of the guidance discussed in this study. The results of the trespass prevention strategies will be analyzed to help determine areas of potential risk, develop solutions to prevent and minimize risk exposure, and implement successful countermeasures in the future. The ultimate objective of the research is to aid in the development of national recommendations or guidelines to reduce trespass-related incidents and fatalities.