In my city, we have a program to remove 50 level crossings, probably more if you count at-grade pedestrian crossings. So I thought I would start a thread on removal of level crossings in the U.S and Canada. This concerns level crossings both with roads footpaths, and any other public thoroughfares, note that railways are private property and thus don't count themselves.
Some general notes on level crossing removal:
Closure of a level crossing on a railway, together with closure of the line itself, does not count. But closure of a road or footpath crossing a railway does count if the stretches of road or footpath to each side remained or still remain with dead-ends at the railway. This is one simple type of crossing removal.
Then there are six types of grade separation:
*Road over
*Road under
*Rail over
*Rail under
*Two combinations of raising one and lowering the other.
Level crossings limit train frequencies over them. While trains may have priority, this doesn't mean that advantage may be taken of this priority rule to cut off road traffic, including pedestrians. There also needs to be a limit to the scheduled train frequency so that the road isn't continuously blocked. If a level crossing is closed for nearly as much time as it's open to road traffic, then rail traffic justifies grade separation. Such rail traffic is impossible on single track sections, but can often be achieved on double track.
Let's start with the most recent level crossing removals, that is level crossings removed since 2010, and level crossing projected to or currently being removed. In the case of grade separations, indicate the type of level grade separation. You might also want to include the reasoning behind the type of grade separation with each example.
Some general notes on level crossing removal:
Closure of a level crossing on a railway, together with closure of the line itself, does not count. But closure of a road or footpath crossing a railway does count if the stretches of road or footpath to each side remained or still remain with dead-ends at the railway. This is one simple type of crossing removal.
Then there are six types of grade separation:
*Road over
*Road under
*Rail over
*Rail under
*Two combinations of raising one and lowering the other.
Level crossings limit train frequencies over them. While trains may have priority, this doesn't mean that advantage may be taken of this priority rule to cut off road traffic, including pedestrians. There also needs to be a limit to the scheduled train frequency so that the road isn't continuously blocked. If a level crossing is closed for nearly as much time as it's open to road traffic, then rail traffic justifies grade separation. Such rail traffic is impossible on single track sections, but can often be achieved on double track.
Let's start with the most recent level crossing removals, that is level crossings removed since 2010, and level crossing projected to or currently being removed. In the case of grade separations, indicate the type of level grade separation. You might also want to include the reasoning behind the type of grade separation with each example.
Also known as Myrtonos