BURLINGTON, WA – On June 5, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced it has awarded a $2 million planning grant to the City of Burlington to identify which of the city’s 16 at-grade rail crossings is most suitable for grade separation to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion.
The $2 million planning grant is part of more than $570 million in Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program funding the FRA awarded to more than 63 projects in 32 states, which will address more than 400 at-grade crossings nationwide. Established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the RCE Grant Program is the first-ever dedicated federal grant initiative to help communities eliminate highway-rail grade-level crossings, which will reduce train-vehicle collisions and blocked rail crossings and improve the movement of people and goods.
Larsen and Sexton Applaud Funding
Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Burlington Mayor Steve Sexton applauded the funding and its importance to improving safety and reducing congestion in the city.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Burlington has funding it needs to improve safety and reduce congestion in the city,” said Larsen, the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Mayor Sexton brought the idea of improving at-grade crossings in the city to me nearly a decade ago, and I am pleased to see the City will be able to move forward with a project that will build a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation network.”
“With 16 at-grade rail crossings, the City of Burlington has struggled for decades with increasing train traffic,” said Sexton. “The receipt of this grant will put us on a clear path to plan and design an overcrossing, improving traffic flow and critical response times from our first responders. I want to thank our federal delegation for their support of our efforts.”
Larsen Focused on Improving Rail Safety
Larsen has long been focused on improving rail safety in Northwest Washington and across the country. Larsen supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made $102 billion available for rail improvement projects. He recently called on Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves (MO-06) to schedule a hearing on rail safety in the wake of incidents like the BNSF train derailment on the Swinomish Reservation in Skagit County, Washington, in March and the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in February.
Additional Information
· For more information on the FRA’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, click here.
· For more information on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is benefiting Washington state, click here.
Original source can be found here.
