President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a total of $3 billion over five years for a new program that will improve safety in communities, reduce wait times at railroad crossings, and help freight move goods more efficiently and affordably.
Overview
The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing more than $573 million in available grant funding for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program this year. This new competitive discretionary grant program was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will be administered by the Federal Railroad Administration. It will help improve safety, eliminate lengthy delays at railroad crossings in communities across the country, and ultimately lower the costs of transporting goods, making them more affordable for American families.
The Railroad Crossing Elimination Program will fund projects that create grade separations such as overpasses and underpasses as well as closures, track relocations, and improvement or installation of warning devices at crossings if related to a separation or relocation project. Planning, environmental review, and other preliminary design elements are also eligible for grant funding.
At least 20% of available funding will go to rural and Tribal areas. Incidents this week in Missouri and California have underscored the tragic consequences of collisions between trains and vehicles that occur throughout the country. In 2021, there were approximately 2,148 grade crossing incidents, resulting in 236 deaths and 662 injuries.
The complete statement can be read here.
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