A resource optimization framework for improving railway-highway grade crossing safety in Canada

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach to address the problem of allocating federal resources and identifying upgrading projects for improving the safety of at-grade crossings in Canada. The proposed approach is unique in two key aspects. First, a risk-based network screening process is adopted to identify the priority sites for providing a justifiable basis for distributing the total budget at a regional level as well as narrowing the search space in the subject optimization step. Secondly, a mathematical programming approach is applied to formalize the resource allocation process with explicit consideration of the expected benefits – risk reduction and the costs of implementing the projects. This approach is expected to improve the process of identifying the optimal set of upgrading projects within each region, thus maximizing the return on investment. A full-scale case study from the Canadian crossing network is conducted to demonstrate the application of the proposed approach.