The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) last week opened a $1.1 billion funding round to improve safety at railroad grade crossings. Funding under the Crossing Safety Program comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address over 2,000 collisions and nearly 300 fatalities yearly since 2021. Eligible projects include installing or improving signs, signals or protective devices; relocating tracks; and creating road separation by adding tunnels, bridges or embankments.
States, counties, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, port authorities, federally recognized Indian Tribes and any combination of these entities are eligible to apply. The FRA will cover up to 80% of a project’s costs. Of the total available funds in this round, 3% is set aside for project planning and 20% is dedicated to projects in rural areas or on tribal lands.
The FRA said in its Notice of Funding Opportunity that it is interested in projects that reduce or eliminate blocked railroad crossings. In recent years, freight trains have concentrated along fewer, more efficient rail corridors while populations have increased along rail lines, according to the Association of American Railroads.