NCDOT Research Project 2019-08 contributed to a more complete understanding of the extent of pedestrian trespassing along the railroad network in North Carolina by quantifying and describing the universe of trespassing activities including those events that do not result in injury or death. The collection of trespassing event data was accomplished through the development and testing of static (fixed base) thermal camera systems. Thermal camera systems were deployed at a sample of trespassing hot spots along railroad corridors in the state to determine a count of trespassing events for the data collectiontime periods and an estimate of the trespassing frequency at the hot spots. Using these trespassing event data, preliminary models for estimating and predicting trespassing across the railroad network were developed. The data were also used to develop profiles of trespassing activity by season of year, month of year, day of week, and hour of day for each hot spot location that can inform local-level intervention strategies. The research project resulted in a comprehensive report that provides NCDOT Rail Division staff with a better understanding of pedestrian trespassing on the North Carolina rail network, including where trespassing hot spots are located, when trespassing events are most likely to take place, what the characteristics of trespassing events are, approximately how many trespassing events are occurring, and how many trespassing events are expected to occur based on a combination of factors.
Through the requested technology transfer, the site-specific data and analyses will be shared back to the communities’ policy and decision makers where data collection was conducted at the local level through short case study summary reports and through outreach workshops to share information about the state level modeling results and the community level profiles. The outreach will include a description of urban rail environments, known trespass attractors, quality of life considerations and an introduction to successful trespass countermeasures in the education, environmental and enforcement sectors. The North Carolina communities to be included are: Charlotte, Durham, Elon, Gastonia, Greensboro, Lumberton, Mebane, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Salisbury, and Shelby. Additional communities and ‘"sister cities" of the study communities that are likely suffering the same trespass activities will be invited to participate and
include but are not limited to: Ranlo, Belmont, Monroe, Kannapolis, Concord, Lexington, High Point, Burlington, Pinehurst, Wilson, Garner.
