Utah Transit Authority
Overview
The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) is submitting its 2012 FrontRunner South Safety and Activation Program for consideration for an APTA Rail Safety & Security Excellence Award. The multi- level approach to safety during the construction and activation of a new commuter rail service highlighted how all aspects of a safety program can have the combined benefit of enhancing safety throughout the system.
The concern for pedestrian interaction with the rail corridor caused UTA to test, evaluate and implement pedestrian crossing treatments at all grade crossing quadrants. In addition to this engineering solution, UTA integrated education and enforcement elements into its overall enhanced safety program for FrontRunner South.
The activation of the FrontRunner South commuter rail line used the improved rail activation “hold point” process to test, integrate, review and activate the corridor. This process ensured that all elements of safety, construction, systems and operations were included in the process; and that all concerns were vetted and addressed in a timely manner for the safe opening and operations of the system on December 10, 2012.
FrontRunner South added 45 miles of commuter rail service from the Salt Lake Central station, southward to Provo Intermodal
Center. The project included 8 new stations, with one additional future station location accommodated in the construction. The corridor consisted mostly of 20’ of Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) property purchased from their 100’ corridor, though in some sections the UTA corridor is separated from UPRR. The system includes 14 grade separated crossings, 35 at-grade crossings, and one fly-over where the commuter rail corridor moves from east of the UPRR property to the west side.
Description of Problem
Activation of rail lines in previous projects highlighted that improvements were needed in coordination between departments, the method of activating, and verification of safety elements. UTA determined that an improved process was needed – and
developed and implemented the “hold point” activation method.
Several pedestrian accidents on the UTA system underscored the need for enhanced pedestrian treatments at grade crossings. UTA studied new treatments and implemented them first on the FrontRunner South commuter rail line. The overall philosophies were to maximize sight distance, eliminate any straight through approaches to platforms or crossings, and to force pedestrians to turn directions before crossing the rail line.
Overall program implemented
UTA used the principles of Operation Lifesaver – Educate, Engineer, and Enforce – to guide its efforts to improve safety within the organization and its overall safety culture. The first true application of the principles was on the new FrontRunner South commuter rail line. UTA expanded the traditional “3E’s” to “4E+”, which now include: Eliminate, Engineer, Educate and Enforce + Encourage. The principles now start with “Eliminate”, to pursue opportunities to completely remove a hazard. To the last E, UTA has added “Encourage”, to develop ways of rewarding the public for safe behavior, not just penalizing them when they break the rules. A goal of this effort is to implement state-of-the-art solutions and systems to the design and operations of their transit modes. UTA began the process for FrontRunner South with a new media campaign, using traditional means and social networking. Staff took the safety message to city Mayors and Police Chiefs across the communities that FrontRunner South would serve. UTA developed, tested, and implemented new pedestrian crossing treatments to improve the engineered solutions; and enhanced enforcement of safety rules through strengthened state statues and new distracted pedestrian ordinances.
Eliminate
The best treatment of a hazard is to eliminate the potential conflict. To this end, UTA designed and constructed 16 grade separated crossings, modified the original design to grade separate four additional crossings (Geneva Road and 11400 South as examples) and closed 12 existing at-grade crossings. UTA also improved and upgraded treatments at 39 crossings. Educate
UTA channeled significant effort and resources into an
award-winning media campaign, as the cornerstone of its message to the public. UTA developed and initiated full transit safety media program with TV, radio, social media, billboards, and platform, bus and rail advertisements. The “Train for Safety” program used the tag line “It only takes a second to be safe.” UTA wrapped two trains with the safety message.
The messages on posters, placards, and handouts were “Look Twice”, “Hold Hands”, “Stand Back” and “Listen Up”. New Safety wristbands with this slogan were created and handed out during the grand opening events and regular safety rides on the system. This media effort reached out to local television channels
and newspapers, in that UTA invited the media into its control room and out onto the system to observe the public’s behavior. This effort resulted in several reports and articles that highlighted
the distracted and unsafe behavior of the public, and had the media join UTA’s message to pay attention and act safely around trains.
Getting the safety message out to the communities was so important to UTA’s Board of Trustees, that its Chairman, Greg Hughes, conducted several presentations of the safety update to Council of Governments along the Wasatch Front with the UTA General Manager. The Chief Safety Officer presented the update at a meeting of every city and county council along the corridor. These presentations got UTA and the safety message in front of city mayors,
councilmen, and community leaders to emphasize its efforts, and encourage them to join in the education and enforcement efforts within their communities.
UTA also launched a robust emergency responder training campaign, prior to the opening of the line. Over 500 responders were trained on the unique demands of responding to a
commuter rail train incident with the safety message always inherent within the training.
UTA continues to develop its safety ambassador program where UTA staff work on platforms to educate and encourage safe behavior around tracks. UTA distributed
Operation Lifesaver pins to all UTA employees to wear daily to serve as a reminder to them and the public to be safe. UTA conducts a monthly safety poster contest, and sends weekly safety messages to all employees.
Engineer
Pedestrian Treatments
UTA has completed numerous engineering changes, both physically on the system, but also in its design criteria and processes. Most significantly, UTA modified all pedestrian crossings along the FrontRunner South line. UTA evaluated and implemented pedestrian crossing treatments that consist of new standard fencing, designed to divert pedestrians at all crossings. “Look Both Ways” and “Stop Here When Red Lights are Flashing” signs were placed on the fence to reinforce the crossing safety message. The treatments included standard tactile tile across sidewalks, which were enhanced with “Stop” and “Look” markings on the sidewalk. The treatments were designed so that distracted pedestrians bump into a fence instead of possibly
bumping into a train. At station access points, customers enter the “pedestrian box” which serves to divert their paths for safety, while also directing them past the “tap-on, tap-off” pedestals.
UTA took the additional step of fencing the entire 45-mile corridor to delineate the corridor and to deter trespassers from gaining access to the corridor. This effort was made to lock down the corridor, as best as could be established, to enhance the safety of the corridor.
One section of the corridor in American Fork was adjacent to a residential area in which trespassers were routinely noticed jumping the existing fence. Instead
of building a larger fence to deter the residents, which would eventually also be breached, UTA turned the trespassers into pedestrians by constructing an additional crossing, with pedestrian warning signals, as a safe means for the area residents to cross the tracks.
Activated pedestrian signs were also placed at certain locations, based on design criteria. The UTA signs have a train logo, with red arrows above and below that alternate flashing. This sign reinforces the “look both ways” safety message, and also warns pedestrians that another train may be coming from either direction.
Rail Activation Hold Point Process
The improved rail activation “hold point” process was developed to provide an
integrated, documented means of bringing FrontRunner South on line. A foundational change was the clarification of the membership of the Rail Activation Committee (RAC). The RAC now consists of discipline managers as the central committee (Safety, Construction, Systems, and Operations) with clear designation of Rail Activation Manager as Chair. An improved rail activation plan now consists of three distinct “hold points”, during which time is allocated to review, assess and approve actions of a phase, before approval to move into the following phase. These hold points occur between Construction, Systems Integration, Pre-Revenue Service, and Revenue Operations. The Chief Safety Officer must now sign off on each hold point document before moving into the next phase. Follow-on phases require the UTA Rail General Manager and UTA General Manager to sign off before proceeding. This redefinition reinforces the communication between departments and ensures entry into a phase of the activation process will only happen with coordination and approval. This process also ensures that all certification processes and safety walks of the line are conducted before pre-revenue testing is allowed to begin. The Utah Department of Transportation State Safety Oversight Administrator is invited to each of the RAC meetings and kept apprised of daily and weekly activities.
Enforce + Encourage
As distracted pedestrians are a growing problem throughout the US and on its system, UTA worked with its Board of Trustees to develop and pass a first-in-the-nation ordinance making distracted behavior across UTA tracks a civil violation. Though controversial, UTA is relying on the discussion in the traditional and social media to bring the problems associated with this type of behavior to the forefront and have the public begin to modify their behavior around its system. UTA is also working to publicize the new ordinances and statutes in the media, and around its system to educate the public through signs and handouts, and with its Safety Ambassadors.
As part of encouragement for safe behavior, on safety ambassador days, UTA staff distribute Operation Lifesaver pins, Safety bookmarks, information cards and “Train for Safety” hats to customers and pedestrians who display appropriate, safe behavior around transit.
UTA worked this past legislative session to strengthen the Utah state statutes and with its Board to enhance UTA ordinances in an effort to implement stronger safety laws and to educate the public. The Utah state statute was enhanced to clearly define
entering a grade crossing while crossing lights are flashing as an infraction. New signs highlighting this legislation, signed by the Governor in May 2012, have been placed at crossings primarily to educate the public, and assist the UTA and local police in their enforcement of this statute.
UTA staff has encouraged joint enforcement with city mayors and police chiefs at individual city presentations. UTA police were instrumental in initiating a text capable reporting system for its customers and the public. This system allows anyone to text to
“UTATIP” any safety or security concern they observe. The message instantly gets to the security dispatcher, who can coordinate an appropriate response. This system complements UTA’s "See Something? Say Something!", and “287-EYES” programs.
Results Achieved
The Safety and Activation Program has been effective in several measurable ways. The APTA AdWheel award winning media program validates the creativity, implementation strategies, and effectiveness of this element of the overall UTA safety program. Based on comments from users and communities, the effectiveness of the pedestrian crossing treatments is good and because of this reception, it is being expanded to all existing grade crossings
throughout the UTA system. The comprehensive measure of the effectiveness will be determined over time, since implementation has just been completed.
The program is innovative in that the pedestrian treatments have been implemented on every quadrant at grade crossings, and at every customer access point to the platforms. Few if any transit agencies have this standard of pedestrian treatments on their corridors.
Benefits and Transferability
The benefits of this activation process and pedestrian treatments are applicable to each rail system (light or commuter). The new pedestrian crossing treatment design criteria and plan sheet, developed at UTA, have been shared with multiple transit agencies and consultants in the US and Canada. It is also the basis for the new Utah Standard Grade Crossing guidebook, which is to be finalized this year and applicable throughout the state. The Federal Transit
Administration has highlighted the UTA rail activation “hold point” process as a “best practices” for other agencies at reviews and conferences. The process is being used on the three additional rail activations UTA will complete in 2013.
The following three pages of supporting documentation include the Media Award Certificate; the pedestrian crossing treatment design reference plan sheet; and the rail activation “hold point” process flow chart.
