Citation

Colquhoun D, Morrall JF, Hubbell J. Transp. Res. Rec. 1995; 1503: 127-136.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of Calgary light rail transit (LRT) surface operations and grade-level crossings. At present, the LRT system incorporates approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) of double track and 31 stations. Approximately 87% of the LRT system is composed of surface operation in a shared right-of-way. Outside of the downtown area, the LRT operates adjacent to and in the median of arterial roadways and in an existing rail corridor. In this environment, the LRT has priority over street traffic, preempting the traffic signals at intersecting roadways. Downtown, three LRT lines merge and run under line-of-site operation along the 7th Avenue Transit Mall along with transit buses and emergency vehicles. Although trains are not given special priority along 7th Avenue, traffic signal phasing provides progression to minimize delays as the LRT travels between stations. Based on experiences documented in this paper, it is demonstrated that LRT can operate harmoniously with private vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles in the right-of-way of city streets. Strategies developed maintain an acceptable level of traffic operations at intersecting streets while giving priority to LRT operation through traffic signal preemption. Existing traffic signal and railway crossing equipment and control techniques have also been adapted to manage the interaction between LRT operations and private vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic at intersecting streets and LRT stations, and to accommodate nonstandard crossing configurations such as skewed intersections.

Language: en

Keywords

Intersections; Traffic signals; Railroad tracks; Light rail transit; Railroad transportation; Roads and streets; Railroad crossings