Safety of Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings. Study of the Acoustic Characteristicsof Railroad Horn Systems

摘要

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Special ProgramsAdministration, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, in support of the Federal Railroad Administration is conducting a research program with the goal of reducing the number of fatalities and injuries at highway-railroad grade crossings. As a part of the program, the Volpe Center's Noise Measurement and Assessment Facility is conducting a study to determine the effectiveness of railroad horn systems. The document is the first publication supporting the study. It presents the results of acoustic measurements performed in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Jacksonville, Florida, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Omaha, Nebraska, to determine the acoustic characteristics of several types of railroad horn systems. Data obtained includes frequency spectrum, directivity, drop-off rate, maximum A-weighted sound level, and sound exposure level.