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RAILROAD oPERATING CHARACTERISTICS <br /> An important component in estimating problem magnitudes and in <br /> identifying remedial actions is the profile of railroad operating <br /> characteristiCS' Exhibit 5 presents some of these characteristics for the <br /> case study communities. <br /> A review of operating characteristics points to a stgniffcant <br /> conclusion: rail/community conflicts are not solely related to the number <br /> of train operations conducted in a community but to other railroad <br /> operating and community characteristiCS as well. For example, while both <br /> Elk River and Sauk Rapids experience 25 trains on the average day, the <br /> percentage of the day that crossings are blocked on average in Elk River is <br /> twice that of Sauk Rapids. The difference is in types of trainS, types of <br /> operations, and train speeds. <br /> As noted, community characteristics also are an important <br /> determinant of the magnitude of ratl~community conflicts. Using the Elk <br /> River/Sauk Rapids example, in which blocked crossing time in Elk River is <br /> twice that of Sauk Rapids, it would seem that problem magnitudes would be <br /> larger in Elk River. This is not the case~ however, because Sauk Rapids' <br /> development patterns cause community activities to conflict more frequently <br /> with train operations than those in Elk River (see Exhibits 3 and 4). <br /> These comparisons verify the Phase I conclusion that communitY <br /> problems experienced along the corridor result from the interaction of <br /> railroad operations and community characteristics; they are not caused ~ <br /> solely by railroad activities- The compariSonS also reveal that simple <br /> indices of rail operatiOnS (such as train volumeS) and community <br /> characteristics (such as population or daily traffic volumes) mmy distort <br /> <br /> <br />