FRA outlines nine projects to receive STEP grants

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
Illinois Rail Crossing
CREATE Program

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has awarded nearly $10 million in grants for nine projects in eight states to upgrade and increase the safety of railroad crossings along energy routes.

 

Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products (STEP) by Rail Program totaling more than $5 million, which were awarded to Wisconsin, North Dakota and Louisiana, were outlined in the RT&S story posted on Feb. 17 (link to story)

Additionally, STEP grants were awarded to Washington state, California, Minnesota, Illinois and Arkansas.

“One of FRA’s top priorities during the past year has been to reverse the uptick in fatalities at railroad crossings because most of these collisions and deaths are preventable,” FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg said. “[These] grants will upgrade the warning systems at critical crossings and close others where crude oil and other energy products are transported.”

Last year, FRA launched a new, comprehensive campaign to reverse the recent uptick in railroad crossing fatalities. The campaign includes partnering with Google and other tech companies to use FRA data that pinpoints the country’s 200,000 railroad crossings to add visual and audio alerts to map applications. FRA has also worked with local law enforcement to increase enforcement around railroad crossings. Collisions between trains and vehicles at railroad crossings are the second-leading cause of all railroad-related fatalities. In 2014, 267 individuals died in these collisions.

In Paragould, Ark., $292,000 was awarded to install flashing lights and crossing gates at the North End Avenue crossing and $190,000 to install flashing lights and crossing gates at the Greene County Road crossing; both currently only have cross bucks.

In Oxnard, Calif., $1.5 million was awarded to complete design work to separate Rice Avenue from the railroad tracks. The California Department of Transportation will design a six-lane bridge that will include sidewalks and bike lanes on Rice Avenue over the Union Pacific tracks and State Route 34.

In Chicago, Ill., $1.25 million was granted to fund the preliminary design and engineering costs for an overpass to separate Union Pacific’s double-track mainline, from motor vehicle traffic at the intersection of 95th street and Eggleston Avenue in Chicago.

In Minneapolis, Minn., $716,000 to upgrade the 37-year-old signal system and add medians at the Humboldt Avenue Crossing. The upgraded signal system will reduce false alarms and the risk of inadequate signal timing. Medians will be installed to prevent drivers from driving across tracks around the gate arms, thus eliminating the risk of deadly collisions. Four Class 1 railroads converge at the Humboldt Yard.

Near Vancouver, Wash., a $900,000 grant was awarded for the Ridgefield Rail Overpass Project, which will close the Mill Street and Division Street crossings, build a 500-foot bridge overpass and construct 1,000 feet of new road and finance signal work.

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