 |
YELLOW SHEET Office of the State Auditor of Missouri |
August 31, 2001
Report No. 2001-79
The following problems
were discovered as a result of an audit conducted by our office of the
Department of Economic Development, Division of Motor Carrier and Railroad
Safety.
On
average Missouri spends a total of $4.6 million each year from state and
federal funds on safety upgrades as compared to other similarly sized states
spending between $5.5 and $15 million.�
In addition, for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2001, the railroad
industry contributed approximately $700,000 annually.� For the state to provide for more timely safety upgrades of railroad
crossings, additional funds for upgrades are necessary.
A
federal program mandates that each state maintain a listing of all railroad
crossings which may require protective devices and provides for the state to
schedule upgrade projects to provide for safety at railroad crossings.� The division ranks approximately 3,900
public railroad crossings throughout the state in terms of an exposure
index.� The index measures such things
as the number of cars which pass over the crossing daily, the posted vehicle
speed limit, the number of daily trains, the speed of trains, and a sight
impediment measure.� According to
management, accident rates are considered when a crossing is considered for
upgrade.� However, this information is
not used to calculate the exposure index.
The
fiscal year 2000 index identified fifty-three grade crossings which have the
greatest need to be upgraded from passive to active safety measures.� Passive safety devices do not have any sight
or sound warning, while active safety devices include these types of
warnings.� Our review also noted twelve
of these crossings have experienced an accident in the last five years, and
four of the twelve have experienced multiple accidents during this time period.� Approximately 46 percent of all grade
crossings are equipped with active safety measures.� On average Missouri annually upgrades ten to fifteen grade
crossings from passive to active signals.�
Other similarly sized states are annually upgrading twenty-five to
seventy grade crossings from passive to active.
At
the current rate of grade crossing upgrades, it will take the state
approximately four years to upgrade the grade crossings it has currently
identified as most needing upgrades.� To
provide the additional safety the citizens of Missouri need, the division
should aggressively seek additional funding sources, including more funding by
the railroads, to increase the number of grade crossings annually upgraded.
It
should be noted in May 2001, the Missouri Supreme Court issued its decision in
the case of Alcorn v. Union Pacific Railroad Company, et al.� This decision indicated that the railroad
corporations have a legal duty to keep railroad crossings reasonably safe and
to protect persons using the crossings.�
Despite this duty, contributions from railroad corporations have
represented just� small percentage of
the money spent on grade crossing upgrades.� The railroad�s legal duty should act as an incentive to
contribute more funds to warn or protect motorists at dangerous crossings.
The
division has not made a sustained effort to inform the public about filing
grade crossing safety complaints.� While
the division does receive some complaints regarding dangerous grade crossings,
it does not adequately inform the public of how to file these complaints.� Without a complete public service
announcement campaign� which includes
all forms of media and the division�s phone number encouraging citizens to file
complaints many citizens� concerns may not be received by the division.
The division does not publicly release a ranking of grade
crossings by the exposure index.� The
index is the main basis for selecting which grade crossings are being
considered for upgrade.� Releasing the
index information, along with accident and complaint information, may also
serve as a public awareness measure, warning individuals of the need to be more
cautious and alert at certain crossings.
According
to the Director of Motor Carrier and Railroad Safety, inspectors periodically
inspect safety devices at each grade crossing and crossings are also inspected
from a vehicle riding the rails during a rail safety inspection.� However, the inspectors are not required to
file a report on the safety conditions at each grade crossing.� Without a documented inspection report and a
tracking system, the division has little assurance that each grade crossing is
being inspected and has met safety standards.
