FRA 07-23

June 5, 2023

Contact: FRA Public Affairs

Tel.: (202) 493-6024 

FRAPA@DOT.gov

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Funding for 63 Projects in 32 States That 

Will Help Reduce Train-Vehicle Collisions and Blocked Rail Crossings in the U.S.

President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes the first-ever dedicated grant 

program to help communities eliminate points where railroad tracks intersect with roads, which have 

blocked vehicle and pedestrian traffic, led to deadly vehicle-rail collisions, and prevented first 

responders from reaching emergencies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration 

(FRA) today announced it has awarded more than $570 million in Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) 

Grant Program funding to projects in 32 states. This inaugural round of funding will address more than 

400 at-grade crossings nationwide, improve safety, and make it easier to get around railroad tracks by 

adding grade separations, closing at-grade crossings, and improving existing at-grade crossings where 

train tracks and roads intersect.

Preventing blocked crossings and collisions is one of many ways President Biden’s Investing in America 

agenda will make a difference in people’s everyday lives by improving safety and convenience and

creating good-paying jobs to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure. Last year, there were more than 2,000 

highway-rail crossing collisions in the U.S. and more than 30,000 reports of blocked crossings submitted 

to FRA’s public complaint portal.

"Every year, commuters, residents, and first responders lose valuable time waiting at blocked railroad 

crossings – and worse, those crossings are too often the site of collisions that could be prevented,” said 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America 

agenda, we’re improving rail crossings in communities across the country to save lives, time, and 

resources for American families.” 

For years, FRA has received complaints from citizens, states, and localities regarding the delays and 

disruptions caused by frequently blocked crossings that force residents to wait hours at intersections or 

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take detours. These delays and disruptions can also prevent first responders from getting to emergencies

quickly. Further, over 2,000 collisions occur every year at highway-rail grade crossings. The projects

selected for funding in the first year of this program will greatly improve the quality of life in 

communities big and small, creating safer rail crossings and allowing people to get to and from their 

homes, schools, businesses, hospitals, fire stations, and workplaces without being stranded and delayed 

by a standing train. 

“The Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program is another critical tool that FRA is using to make a 

lasting impact on the safety and transportation needs of communities nationwide,” said FRA 

Administrator Amit Bose. “With these project selections and the many more that are to come, we will 

save lives and reshape infrastructure in ways that allow individuals to move through their neighborhoods 

seamlessly and safely.”

Along with projects that build or upgrade physical infrastructure at railroad crossings, FRA awarded 

$15.7 million for planning activities and $33.1 million for project development and design activities that 

will build a pipeline of projects for future funding. Twenty two percent of all funding, $127.5 million, 

was awarded to projects in rural areas or on Tribal lands. 

Examples of major projects funded this year include:

• Texas – West Belt Improvement Project (Phase 1) ($36,916,200)

City of Houston

The project will fund a 9,000 foot sealed corridor, construct four underpasses, close four at-grade 

crossings, and eliminate seven at-grade roadway-rail crossings total—crossings where more than 

850 incidents of train blockages have been reported this year through FRA's online portal. In 

addition to reducing commuter disruptions and delays, decreased vehicle idling at crossings will 

improve air quality and save people an estimated $12.7 million in lost fuel, according to the city. 

Texas is second in the nation in grade crossing fatalities, and this project will increase safety for 

drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, as well as reliable access for first responders. The Phase 1 

project being funded by the Biden-Harris Administration and the City of Houston is also a 

critical step in developing a future 5-mile long quiet zone that will improve quality of life and 

remove train horn noise for nearly 15,000 households.

• Alabama – Railroad Crossing Elimination on Shelby County Road 52 ($41,766,038)

City of Pelham

The project will construct a bridge and eliminate two existing at-grade crossings on Shelby 

County Road 52 to increase safety and mobility in the heart of Pelham and solve a long-standing 

and worsening problem with blocked crossings. Shelby County Road 52, which carries the 

second highest traffic volume of any east-to-west route in the area, currently cuts the city in half. 

When blocked by stalled or slow-moving trains, emergency and HAZMAT responders are 

prevented from accessing half the city. Infrastructure improvements will establish a permanent, 

reliable route for emergency responders and decrease delays for the 24,000 drivers utilizing 

County Road 52 daily. The new bridge will increase capacity to five lanes with a multi-use path 

to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. These safety improvements will also strengthen the 

State's supply chain, as more than 30 daily trains destined for the Port of the Mobile travel the 

CSX line through Pelham.
• Indiana – Governors Parkway Railroad Overpass Project ($7,029,392)

City of Hammond

The project will construct a new, centrally located overpass and eliminate two grade crossings 

where Parrish Avenue and Arizona Avenue intersect with Norfolk Southern Railway’s rail line 

in the City of Hammond. Given its proximity to Chicago’s vast rail network, this area has 

persistently dealt with blocked crossings, congestion, and connectivity challenges. The new 

overpass and road alignment, called Governor’s Parkway, will provide safe and reliable passage 

for drivers, pedestrians, and emergency responders. Hammond is home to 53 at-grade crossings, 

with residents reporting slow or stalled trains blocking crossings lasting between 20 minutes and 

several hours. Depending on the length, trains can block dozens of local streets throughout the 

city. The new overpass will eliminate major traffic delays on some of the city’s busiest streets 

and better connect residents, like those in southeast Hessville, where highway rail crossing 

delays impact their ability to get to their jobs, the grocery store, or other required services and 

amenities. Governor’s Parkway will feature one lane of vehicle travel in each direction and a 

multi-use path for pedestrians and bikers. The project also includes more than $2.6 million in 

Federal Highway Administration funds.

• Ohio – Unlocking the Iron Triangle: Grade Separation of S Town Street, Fostoria, Ohio 

($7,245,000)

City of Fostoria

The project will construct a bridge and eliminate three grade crossings in a community bordered 

by railroad tracks on three sides and farmland on the remaining side. Known as the Iron Triangle 

neighborhood, access to and from the community depends upon one of the three existing 

highway rail grade crossings, posing serious safety risks and quality of life challenges. Every 26 

minutes, a CSX train travels through Fostoria, Ohio. Even when trains run efficiently, rail traffic 

means active traffic control devices at crossings sound for at least two hours per day in the east 

side Iron Triangle neighborhood. The new bridge will provide a safe and reliable route for 

residents, emergency responders, and others to travel between the neighborhood and surrounding 

communities. 

• Florida – Broward County Sealed Corridor Project ($15,440,000)

Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization 

The project will increase safety at 21 grade crossings, along Florida’s East Coast Rail Corridor, a 

freight rail corridor shared with Brightline’s intercity passenger rail service. Along the corridor, 

17% of collisions are the result of motorists driving around entrance gates, with nearly 60% of 

those instances occurring in Broward County. Safety improvements will deter such actions by 

constructing 33 new exit gates and 7 raised medians at crossings where at least 27 collisions have 

occurred over the last five years. Upgrades being funded by the Biden-Harris Administration, the 

Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, and six local municipalities will increase safety at 

crossings where more than 60 trains per day are estimated to pass through by next year and 

benefit a County projected to grow by nearly 2.2 million by 2045. 

• Iowa – South Concord Street Grade Separation ($7,756,862)

City of Davenport 
The project will eliminate one highway-rail crossing and build an overpass at another, preventing 

people and motorists from being stuck by slow moving or stopped trains in an area that has 

consistently reported blocked crossings ranging in wait times from 30 minutes to 2 hours. At 

crossings where trains pass at least 10 times daily, improvements will ensure safe and reliable 

access to the city’s Water Pollution Control Plant, a necessity serving approximately 140,000 

residents in Davenport, Bettendorf, Panorama Park, and Riverdale. Importantly, for the workers

at the water facility as well as the nearby compost facility and Nahant Rail Yard, first responders 

will have an unobstructed path to each location, ensuring timely emergency response when 

required. The overpass will be built to withstand 100-year or stage 23.6 floods in an area where 

transportation has come to a halt due to flooding of the nearby Mississippi River.

• Washington – 32nd Street Underpass Project ($40,480,000)

City of Washougal 

The proposed project will fund development, final design, right-of-way acquisition, and rail 

bridge construction to better reconnect the Addy Street neighborhood with the downtown and 

port areas. With the design of a new rail bridge and underpass, five key intersections will be 

reconstructed along 32nd Street, increasing safety and reducing the risk of vehicle-train 

collisions. Infrastructure improvements will help reduce freight rail bottlenecks and move goods 

more reliably and efficiently. The combination of rail overpass and roadway improvements will 

mean safer streets and increase the functionality, efficiency, and accessibility of the 32nd Street 

Corridor.

There are more than 130,000 miles of railroad track in the U.S. and improving safety in the communities 

where they run is a priority for the Department. 

Over each of the next four years, additional RCE Program funding will be made available annually. 

Project selections for other grant programs that will improve freight rail safety and efficiency, strengthen 

supply chains, and expand the passenger rail network – representing billions of dollars in infrastructure 

law investments – will be announced in the coming months. 

For the full list of Fiscal Year 2022 RCE Program project selections, please click here. Further 

information about the RCE Program can also be found here. 

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