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as a shortcut, often at great danger to themselves. In many ity to railroad operations. The initiative had four major goals,
communities, schools are found on the other side of the as follows:
tracks and children will often cross the railroad property as a
shortcut. According to FRA, the number of railroad trespass 1. Effectively work together,
fatalities first surpassed the number of fatalities at highway 2. Understand one another,
rail grade crossings in 1997 and continues to be the leading 3. Develop a consistent dispute resolution model for handling
cause of fatalities industrywide. complaints by localities and communities regarding freight
FRA has developed model state legislation covering tres- railroad activities, and
passing and vandalism on railroad property (U.S. Department 4. Produce materials about freight railroad activities and
of Transportation 2010a). FRA also has a compilation of state compatible land uses for local jurisdictions and the general
laws and regulations affecting highway rail grade crossings public.
(U.S. Department of Transportation 2002). FRA compiled
research results in 2007 on trespass on railroad rights of way As part of this initiative, the Proximity Issues website was
(U.S. Department of Transportation 2007a). created. It can be found at http://www.proximityissues.ca/
english/index.cfm. The website is primarily focused on pro-
viding information to the general public with the purpose
Operation Lifesaver of avoiding complaints and potential conflicts, or resolving
Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit rail safety education them as best as possible.
Since the initiative began and the website was developed,
organization, whose purpose is to provide public education
Ontario has adopted provincial guidelines and processes
programs to prevent collisions, injuries, and fatalities on and
for planning that are based on the output of this initiative.
around railroad tracks and highway-rail grade crossings. Its
British Columbia also has used the initiative's protocols and
website can be found at http://oli.org/. Operation Lifesaver's
guidelines for issues relating to overpasses and for dealing
national office in Alexandria, Virginia, supports state programs,
with community issues.
and develops videos, educational brochures, and instruc-
The proximity initiative is continuing to develop new tools,
tional information. There are state coordinators located in
review issues, and continue its educational and outreach
all 50 states.
mission. For example, noise and vibration measurement is
Operation Lifesaver began in 1972 as a joint effort between
currently being reviewed with the goal of developing specific
the Idaho governor's office, the Idaho Peace Officers, and
guidelines. Different types of materials for mitigation are also
Union Pacific Railroad. A 6-week public awareness cam- being reviewed--for example, the use of a glass sound wall in
paign was conducted to promote highway-rail grade crossing Montreal, and different types of "green" walls. The initiative
safety. As a result of the program's success, similar programs also continues to conduct extensive outreach, giving presenta-
were adopted in Nebraska, Kansas, and Georgia over the tions to local communities to keep the public educated about
next 2 years. Operation Lifesaver spread to other states and, railroad proximity issues.
in 1986, the national Operation Lifesaver office was created As a consequence of the proximity initiative, the Canadian
to help support state efforts and raise national awareness. National and Canadian Pacific Railroads developed rail
Operation Lifesaver's volunteer speakers and instructors land-use guidelines. The City of Edmonton also undertook a
offer free rail safety education programs in all states. Programs major initiative to amend its zoning code to include a major
are conducted for various groups including schools, driver commercial corridor overlay ordinance.
education classes, community audiences, professional drivers,
law enforcement groups, and emergency responders. The
Operation Lifesaver programs are co-sponsored by federal, Port and Waterway
state, and local government agencies; highway safety organi- Mitigation Activities
zations; and railroads. The needs of waterborne transportation include channels
and terminals as well as certain types of support infrastructure,
such as tie-ups for tugs and barges, fueling facilities, and ship
Canada Proximity Website
repair facilities. Unlike other transportation modes, it is
In 2003, the Railway Association of Canada (RAC), in col- almost impossible to move these facilities off-site away from
laboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities the waterfront. Thus, for marine transportation, mitigation
(FCM), and the Canadian railroads created an initiative to options usually entail retrofitting an existing facility instead of
develop common approaches to the prevention and resolution relocating it, and developing programs that reduce conflicts
of issues that arise when people live and work in close proxim- with nearby non-freight activities.
