Railroad Crossings, School Zones and Pedestrian/Bicycle Signs
Railroad crossings, school zones and pedestrian and bicycle facilities share a theme: vulnerable road users and fixed hazards where the sign tells you what to expect before you can see it. Colorado adds light rail and commuter rail crossings to the mix.
Railroad crossings
A round yellow sign with an X and RR is the advance warning; the crossbuck (white X, black lettering) marks the crossing itself. A plaque below the crossbuck gives the number of tracks, and two tracks means a second train can follow the first. Active devices are flashing red lights, bells and gates; when lights flash or a gate is lowering, you must stop and stay stopped. At passive crossings, Colorado requires you to stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail if a train is approaching. Never stop on the tracks, and confirm there is room on the far side before you start across.
School zones
A pentagon sign with walking figures, usually fluorescent yellow-green, warns of a school crossing. A school zone speed limit of 20 mph applies when posted and in effect, commonly when lights flash or children are present. A crossing guard's signal carries the authority of a traffic control device. The school zone ahead sign gives you time to slow before the limit drops.
Pedestrian and bicycle signs
Pedestrian crossing signs, countdown signals and pedestrian hybrid beacons, which stay dark until activated and then show red to drivers, define pedestrian priority. Bike lane signs, shared-lane markings (sharrows) and bike route signs indicate bicycles belong on the roadway; Colorado requires at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist.
Worked example
You approach a crossbuck with a 2 TRACKS plaque and flashing red lights, and a train has just cleared the first track. The lights and the two-track plaque mean a second train may be coming on the other track. You must stay stopped until the lights stop flashing and the gate is fully raised, even though the first train has passed.
Traps
Proceeding as soon as the first train clears. Stopping closer than 15 feet or farther than 50 feet at a passive crossing. Treating a sharrow as a bike lane you may drive in. Assuming a school zone limit applies all day rather than when it is in effect.