Rick Campbell is a respected and nationally recognized expert in railroad signal design and highway-rail grade crossing safety. His deep understanding, gleaned over 40 years in the rail industry, encompasses design and construction of rail grade crossings, quiet zones, traffic signal preemption, signal design, wayside horns and traffic signal interconnection. As RioTech’s VP of Business Development, Rick oversees client services, signal design, and product development.
Throughout his career, Rick has masterminded the research and development of innovative products for special applications in the rail signal industry, some of which have been patented, including the wayside horn technology, railroad preemption interface, four-quadrant gate control, intelligent serial traffic signal preemption control and inductive loop applications for rail. He has held executive leadership roles for more than 20 years, leading signal engineering teams and providing signal training seminars and presentations on highway-rail grade crossing warning systems. Since 2000, Rick has provided more than 200 training seminars regarding grade crossings for personnel from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), five U.S. Class I railroads, nine U.S. passenger railroads, Transport Canada, 35 state DOTs, numerous city/county agencies, and law enforcement organizations.
Rick’s extensive knowledge makes him a go-to resource for state and local agencies. He has served on numerous federal committees and working groups that develop standards and best practices throughout the country for signalization at grade crossings. Some of these published recommendations currently in use across the U.S. include:
Rick has contributed to featured articles in industry publications, including IMSA Journal and ITE Journal, and was a featured expert for Fox News New York in March 2015.
Rick also serves as a qualified signal expert witness for railroad litigation, providing testimonies and opinions regarding design, operation and maintenance of railroad signals, application of traffic control devices, four-quadrant gate operation, traffic signal interconnection and preemption. Additionally, he is a published author on the topic of signal systems.
Rick earned his bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from the University of Maryland. He is actively involved with numerous professional organizations such as AAR, APTA, ITE; at present, he serves on the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) Executive Board, is the chair of AREMA’s Subcommittee 1 (Committee 36), Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning Systems Controls, and acts as the engineering adviser to Operation Lifesaver National Advisory Council (NAC). He serves the State of Texas as a reserve deputy sheriff and is member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).