The federal government is making available some $573 million in funding to improve the safety of rail grade crossings across the country.
According to the publication Legal Examiner, there were more than 30,000 railroad crossing collisions in a 10-year period between 2008 and 2018, resulting in upwards of 3,600 deaths.
Now the federal Department of Transportation has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for competitive grants to pay for the safety upgrading of such crossings, the installation of protective devices, or track relocation efforts.
The funding is part of the larger Railroad Cross Elimination Program, which over the next 5 years will provide up to $3 billion for highway-rail or pathway-rail crossing upgrade projects.
Such crossings, notes the National Association of Counties, “pose serious risks to drivers, pedestrians, rail passengers, and freight.” Because the crossings are often located in rural or underserved areas, on-site accidents can also result in large areas being cut off from needed services.
The idea of enhancing safety at such crossings, or relocating tracks, has long been discussed by federal, state, and local transportation officials.
The Department of Transportation initiative will also fund the installation of protective devices, signals, and signs related to any planned track separation or closure project, as well as its required planning, design, and environmental review.
In a statement, Ian Jefferies, chief executive officer of the Association of American Railroads, lauded the availability of new funding for such projects, noting: “States and other eligible entities are positioned to strategically deploy these dollars and maximize the program’s impact.”
By Garry Boulard
