| Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System |
| Teamwork Aids Implementation of Grade Crossing
Protection |
| By Robert C. Conte, Newark, New Jersey 1-973-353-7645
conte@pbworld.com and Stewart
R. Gordon, Princeton, New Jersey 1-609-734-7020, gordon@pbworld.com |
| PB established a process that kept all phases of
traffic engineering on track and running smoothly for the fast-track
DBOM process. |
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The safe movement of trains, automobiles and pedestrians is a major
issue in most transit system projects, especially light rail transit
(LRT) systems. Traffic engineering plays a critical role in providing
that safety by planning, designing and specifying roadway interfaces.
The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System (HBLRTS) is no exception.
We faced many challenges on this project in our role as general design
consultant for NJ TRANSIT, including:
- Design of traffic signals and signing and pavement marking
plans, and development of signal phasing/timing plans to move
vehicular, pedestrian and LRT traffic efficiently through downtown
street networks as well as isolated locations
- Preparation of maintenance of traffic plans
for staged construction and identification of detour routes
- Support of NJ TRANSIT’s efforts to
secure “Permissive Orders” to establish or modify
grade crossings and “Authorization to Install” traffic
signals from New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)
- Coordination with the design-build-operate-maintain
(DBOM) team, revision of contract design plans and reviews of
final design efforts (submittals)
- Coordination with local government agencies
and private businesses to keep both groups apprised of new developments
along the LRT alignment or revisions proposed by either group.
Designs for a Range of Crossing Types
Putting a light rail transit system into the heavily developed areas
within the HBLRTS project area presented many diverse design challenges
that were met with a variety of trackway interfaces with streets and
highways. For example:
- Some of the interfaces are akin to a railroad
crossing where automatic gates are used to halt all conflicting
traffic whenever a train approaches.
- Other interfaces are similar to street intersections
except that the autos and LRT vehicles will be controlled by traffic
signals (although of a special design). At these locations, the
train would stop when the signals are providing the right-of-way
to conflicting vehicular and pedestrian movements.
- Other grade crossings have configurations that do not fit into
either the railroad or the street crossing categories.
Very few crossings lent themselves to a cookie cutter type of solution
whereby a standard design could be simply selected and applied. Each
one had to be analyzed (often in conjunction with an adjacent crossing)
and the control finely tailored to address the conditions unique to
that location.
Each grade crossing design was advanced to approximately 50 percent
to provide sufficient detail for the DBOM team to understand the layout
of traffic control devices. This level was also required to meet NJDOT
requirements to secure the “Permissive Orders” and an
“Authorization to Install” traffic signals.
We also prepared 30 percent preliminary design plans for maintenance
of traffic. These plans provided construction staging at grade crossings
and at grade separations, pre-approved detour plans by the local municipalities,
revisions in street circulation (two way vs. one-way), and street
regulations (parking restrictions, stop signs, etc.). The detour plans
included consideration of changing existing NJ TRANSIT bus routes
onto streets that could accommodate these vehicles.
Diagnostic
Team Facilitated Approvals
New Jersey law provides that the NJDOT has jurisdiction regarding
rail safety, including track, grade crossings, tunnel equipment, signals
and bridges. The law requires approval from the state’s Commissioner
of Transportation before any at-grade crossing of a railway and roadway
can be established or modified. When granted, this approval comes
in the form of a Permissive Order, which also specifies conditions
that must be satisfied and actions that must be undertaken in connection
with the construction.
To facilitate the approval process, a diagnostic team was formed early
in the preliminary engineering process to identify and resolve operational
and safety issues at each proposed crossing. The team was comprised
of:
- PB engineers knowledgeable about New Jersey
traffic standards and regulations and experienced with comparable
LRT operations in other urban areas
- NJDOT engineers assigned from both the Utility
and Railroad Engineering Unit and the Bureau of Traffic Engineering
and Safety Programs
- NJ TRANSIT representatives
- A core group of professionals from Hudson County and local
municipalities who were intimately familiar with conditions at
the particular crossing sites.
The findings and recommendations of the diagnostic team were documented
in a Memorandum of Record (MOR), which was prepared by the team leader
at the conclusion of the study. The MOR was then published in local
newspapers for public comments and, if there were no objections, it
was forwarded to the Commissioner of Transportation for issuance of
the Permissive Order.
DBOM Coordination
The DBOM team advanced the preliminary designs by including the detailed
information necessary for construction, including substructure (foundations,
conduits, and junction boxes) design, wiring, and specification of
all construction items. The team was free to develop a design that
differed from the preliminary design as long as it conformed with
the:
- Intent of the preliminary designs
- Requirements of the Permissive Orders
- Accepted standards of NJ TRANSIT and NJDOT
- HBLRTS Manual of Design Criteria.
In-progress, pre-final, and final submissions were submitted by the
DBOM team to NJ TRANSIT for review and comment. They were also forwarded
to PB for review.
We also reviewed the maintenance and protection of traffic plans prepared
by the DBOM team. These plans indicated the layouts of the signing
and traffic control devices (drums, barriers, temporary striping,
etc.) necessary to support the staged construction of the various
locations. These designs needed to conform to the Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices (federal and, in some cases, local),
and NJ TRANSIT and NJDOT standards. Detours proposed by the DBOM team
were checked against those shown on the preliminary plans, which were
pre-approved by the local municipalities.
Despite PB’s intentions to get the traffic signal design plans
approved by the NJDOT in a timely fashion, obstacles occurred that
slowed progress. First, subsequent to the DBOM proposal bid, traffic
signal designs were revised as a result of the diagnostic team meetings.
The revised plans had to be submitted to the DBOM team for review
and approval prior to NJ TRANSIT’s submission to NJDOT for Authorizations
to Install traffic signals. Second, the Authorizations to Install
traffic signals at some 26 locations were being approved at a slow
rate. NJDOT had assigned only one traffic engineer to the project,
and this person had to fit the reviews in among other duties.
We scheduled working reviews with NJDOT and the DBOM subcontractor
in charge of preparing final traffic signal, signing and pavement
marking plans. To secure the authorizations, we revised the plans
according to NJDOT’s comments as much as possible (provided
we had no strong objection for safety reasons) and gave copies to
the DBOM team.
Unfortunately, prior to these working reviews with NJDOT, the DBOM
team had progressed their final designs based on a set of conformed
drawings, the plans on which they based their bid. While we were receiving
comments from NJDOT and revising the plans, NJ TRANSIT was also receiving
submissions from the DBOM team for review. To expedite the work, weekly
coordination meetings between PB and the DBOM traffic engineers were
scheduled to discuss the:
- Current status of the traffic designs vis-à-vis
the receipt of NJDOT comments
- Various design issues in order to reduce
the number of review comments on the DBOM team’s submittals.
Construction problems arose involving some utilities that were relocated,
apparently without complete coordination within the DBOM. In some
cases, the proposed locations for traffic signal poles were occupied
by underground utilities. As a result, the DBOM traffic signal layouts
had to be revised.
The process we established was largely successful in getting various
required approvals in a timely fashion, as necessitated by the fast-track
DBOM process. When unanticipated situations arose, it was the flexibility
and strong working relationships we developed, starting with the diagnostic
team, that allowed us and the entire DBOM team to resolve those situations. |
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Robert Conte has more than 25 years experience
in the transportation engineering field. Before working on the HBLRTS,
he was responsible for the preliminary design of the Traffic Surveillance
and Control System for the Central Artery/Tunnel project in Boston,
Massachusetts. He is a licensed professional engineer in New Jersey
and a professional associate in traffic/transportation engineering.
Stewart Gordon is a professional licensed engineer in the State
of New Jersey with more than 12 years of traffic engineering experience.
He specializes in traffic engineering operations, transportation
planning, design/implementation of traffic signal systems, and traffic
engineering studies. Stewart is a past president of the American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) New Jersey Section and North Jersey
Branch.
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