Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

On the Streetsblog Network today, Systemic Failure highlights an obscure federal regulation that makes walking and biking less convenient. At issue is the Federal Railroad Administration's requirement that trains to sound their horns when approaching a site where tracks intersect with a road.

false

Pseudonymous author "Drunk Engineer" explains how this seemingly innocuous regulation actually degrades the pedestrian environment:

The Hornblowing Rule is possibly the stupidest idea to ever come out of the FRA. It created an elaborate, unfunded Federal mandate for grade crossings. If local communities do not pay ransom — tens of millions of dollars — for grade crossing improvements, then the Feds have them subjected to round-the-clock horn blasts.

Now in some cases, local communities do pay up. But in a lot of cases, they simply eliminate the grade crossing — problem solved! For car drivers, it is no big deal. They can drive to the nearest Federally-approved crossing. But for pedestrians or cyclists, this can be a huge inconvenience if the nearest crossing is miles away. Whole neighborhoods can get cut off.

Elsewhere on the Network today: Bike Lane Living shares a calculator that computes how much cyclists save by choosing not to drive. Riding in Riverside says California High Speed Rail is a far better use of public money than unemployment insurance during this economic crisis. And Cycling Solution points out that even European countries overlook the importance of improving driver behavior to reduce traffic injuries and deaths.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus

Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path.

July 11, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025

Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.

July 10, 2025

Viva La Thursday’s Headlines

Why is French transit ridership up 10 percent since before the pandemic, while American transit ridership is down 23 percent?

July 10, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Bigger and Beautiful-er

There's a lot of bad news in the Big Beautiful Bill — but it also may have helped kill a major highway expansion in Oregon.

July 9, 2025
See all posts