Narrative:

I exited transient aircraft parking onto taxiway V heading north. Taxiway V intersects with a very busy airport drive with vehicles traveling 35 mph. For many yrs; the vehicles had to come to a stop and look for aircraft; however; in the last couple of yrs (I'm guessing on the time frame); the airport installed traffic blocking gates similar to a railroad crossing; and subsequently removed the stop signs. Apparently; there is an approaching aircraft activator installed in the taxiway which senses approaching aircraft. There are also red flashing lights on the side of the taxiway which are designed to stop approaching aircraft until the gates are down; stopping traffic and then the lights turn green; allowing the aircraft to cross. I'm somewhat unfamiliar with this new intersection and operated many yrs/times under the old intersection where all traffic stopped. I was traveling north into the setting sun and looking at approaching; opposite direction traffic when I came close to a vehicle crossing in front of me at the intersection. Apparently; the gates had not started down yet and I didn't stop and let them come completely down. I had to brake hard as did the traffic; which resulted in a near miss. I suggest the sensor that senses approaching aircraft be relocated further from the gates; causing them to activate sooner; allowing more time for separation between the aircraft and crossing traffic for cases like this one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ANC BASED PLT ADVISES XING GATES AT INTXN OF ACCESS ROAD AND TXWY V FAIL TO ACTIVATE IN TIME TO PREVENT POSSIBLE COLLISIONS.

Narrative: I EXITED TRANSIENT ACFT PARKING ONTO TXWY V HEADING N. TXWY V INTERSECTS WITH A VERY BUSY ARPT DRIVE WITH VEHICLES TRAVELING 35 MPH. FOR MANY YRS; THE VEHICLES HAD TO COME TO A STOP AND LOOK FOR ACFT; HOWEVER; IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YRS (I'M GUESSING ON THE TIME FRAME); THE ARPT INSTALLED TFC BLOCKING GATES SIMILAR TO A RAILROAD XING; AND SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED THE STOP SIGNS. APPARENTLY; THERE IS AN APCHING ACFT ACTIVATOR INSTALLED IN THE TXWY WHICH SENSES APCHING ACFT. THERE ARE ALSO RED FLASHING LIGHTS ON THE SIDE OF THE TXWY WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO STOP APCHING ACFT UNTIL THE GATES ARE DOWN; STOPPING TFC AND THEN THE LIGHTS TURN GREEN; ALLOWING THE ACFT TO CROSS. I'M SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS NEW INTXN AND OPERATED MANY YRS/TIMES UNDER THE OLD INTXN WHERE ALL TFC STOPPED. I WAS TRAVELING N INTO THE SETTING SUN AND LOOKING AT APCHING; OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC WHEN I CAME CLOSE TO A VEHICLE XING IN FRONT OF ME AT THE INTXN. APPARENTLY; THE GATES HAD NOT STARTED DOWN YET AND I DIDN'T STOP AND LET THEM COME COMPLETELY DOWN. I HAD TO BRAKE HARD AS DID THE TFC; WHICH RESULTED IN A NEAR MISS. I SUGGEST THE SENSOR THAT SENSES APCHING ACFT BE RELOCATED FURTHER FROM THE GATES; CAUSING THEM TO ACTIVATE SOONER; ALLOWING MORE TIME FOR SEPARATION BTWN THE ACFT AND XING TFC FOR CASES LIKE THIS ONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.