This week, U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg announced federal funds headed to South Florida to improve rail crossings.
Buttigieg announced the funds, which are part of $570 million from the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program, going to projects in more than 30 states. The funds come from the infrastructure law backed by the Biden administration.
“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,” the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) noted. “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 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.”
The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization will get $15.44 million for the Broward County Sealed Corridor Project.
“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 percent of collisions are the result of motorists driving around entrance gates, with nearly 60 percent 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,” the Transportation Department noted.
Fort Lauderdale will get up to $280,000 for a Railroad Safety and Congestion Analysis.
“The proposed planning project will study 15 crossings within the City of Fort Lauderdale along the existing Florida East Coast Railway corridor. Freight service and intercity passenger rail service are both expected to expand over the next couple years, and this project will help identify means to improve safety at the rail grade crossings. Florida East Coast Railroad and Brightline trains operate over these crossings, causing delays at numerous crossings. The study will focus on data related to traffic, delays, and interactions at the crossings. The City of Fort Lauderdale is providing a 20 percent non- Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for Planning projects,” DOT noted.
West Palm Beach will get up to $320,000 for a safety planning study.
“The proposed planning project will examine and identify how pedestrians cross the 8- mile Florida East Coast Railway corridor in the city of West Palm Beach. The study is an effort to review the various needs, objectives, existing studies, and constructability to understand what is feasible and ultimately to formalize an action plan to improve safety at crossings that serve Florida East Coast Railroad and Brightline trains. The City of West Palm Beach is providing a 20 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for Planning projects,” DOT noted.
Members of the Florida congressional delegation applauded the funds.
“I want to deliver safer, speedier travel and cut down commute times in South Florida, and that requires an across government effort, so I’m proud that President Biden and Congress partnered to deliver that help to our community,” said U.S. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. “These rail improvement grants will help our community save lives and arrive to work, school and shops more swiftly. That’s why I did not hesitate to write to Secretary Pete Buttigieg to urge him to fund Broward County’s application.”
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is saving lives,” said U.S. Rep. Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla. “This grant will increase safety at Broward County railroad crossings and reduce deadly collisions that our community has come to see too often.”
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