Evaluating Grade-Separated Rail and Highway Crossing Alternatives

摘要

The report provides a framework for making decisions regarding alternatives for improving deteriorated bridges separating highways and railroads. The report describes current practices regarding the decision-making process used by state governments and railroads, based on a literature review and telephone and mail surveys of state government and railroad officials. The decision-making framework developed during the research provides a set of procedures for the systematic evaluation of alternatives. The framework has the following characteristics: (1) It provides for identification and evaluation of all legitimate alternatives; (2) It incorporates consideration of all factors relevant to the alternative analysis; (3) It defines ways to assess quantitative and qualitative variables; and, (4) It provides techniques for examining differences between alternatives to facilitate decision making.