As used in this subpart—

Class I has the meaning assigned by regulations of the Surface Transportation Board (49 CFR part 1201; General Instructions 1-1), as those regulations may be revised and applied by order of the Board (including modifications in class threshold based on revenue deflator adjustments).

Closed crossing means a location where a previous crossing no longer exists because either the railroad tracks have been physically removed, or each pathway or roadway approach to the crossing has been physically removed, leaving behind no intersection of railroad tracks with either a pathway or roadway. A grade-separated highway-rail or pathway crossing that has been physically removed is also considered a closed crossing.

Crossing Inventory means the U.S. DOT National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory.

FRA Associate Administrator means the FRA Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer.

General railroad system of transportation means the network of standard gage track over which goods may be transported throughout the nation and passengers may travel between cities and within metropolitan and suburban areas.

General system railroad means a railroad that operates on track which is part of the general railroad system of transportation.

Highway-rail crossing means the location where one or more railroad tracks intersect with a public highway, road, street, or private roadway, either at-grade or grade-separated, including associated sidewalks.

Inventory Form means the U.S. DOT Crossing Inventory Form (Form FRA F 6180.71).

Inventory Guide means the FRA Guide for Preparing Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory Forms in effect at the time of the submission of data to the Crossing Inventory.

Inventory Number means the number assigned to a highway-rail crossing or pathway crossing in the Crossing Inventory.

Operating railroad means any railroad or urban rapid transit operator that operates one or more trains through a highway-rail or pathway crossing on, or connected to, the general railroad system of transportation.

Pathway crossing means a pathway that:

(1) Is explicitly authorized by a public authority or a railroad;

(2) Is dedicated for the use of non-vehicular traffic, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and others;

(3) Is not associated with a public highway, road, or street, or a private roadway; and

(4) Crosses one or more railroad tracks either at grade or grade-separated.

Primary operating railroad means the operating railroad that either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, unless the crossing is located within a private company, port, or dock area. If more than one operating railroad either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, or if no operating railroad owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, then the operating railroad that operates the highest number of trains through the crossing is the primary operating railroad. In the event that there is only one operating railroad that operates one or more trains through a highway-rail or pathway crossing, that operating railroad is the primary operating railroad. For highway-rail and pathway crossings that are located within a private company, port, or dock area (“private area”), each railroad that owns track leading to the private company, port, or dock area will be considered a primary operating railroad for all crossings within the private area if a general system railroad operates over the railroad's track leading to the private area and through at least one crossing within that area.

Private crossing means a highway-rail or pathway crossing that is not a public crossing.

Public crossing means a highway-rail or pathway crossing where the approaches are under the jurisdiction of and maintained by a public authority and open to public travel. All approaches must be under the jurisdiction of the public authority and no approach may be on private property, unless State law or regulation provides otherwise.

Temporary crossing means a highway-rail or pathway crossing created to serve a specific activity for a temporary time period not to exceed six months.

[80 FR 786, Jan. 6, 2015, as amended at 81 FR 37532, June 10, 2015]