FHWA awards CARSI funding to grade crossing projects in four states

Five commuter rail authorities received a combined $59 million in grants through the Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) program. The program is managed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with funds awarded to projects in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to improve the safety of highway-rail crossings.

“These grants show how multi-modal coordination and investment will improve safety for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians traveling where roads and railways intersect,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack. “By making these resources available, we can help commuter rail operators mitigate the risks.”

FHWA says grants for the five projects will help with safety improvements including:

• Adding signal features that will help drivers move away from the track before a train arrives in Ventura County in Southern California;
• Modernizing 25 commuter rail crossings with improved lighting and other safety features in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties in Florida;
• Improving accessibility and making warning system upgrades in Dutchess, Nassau, Putnam and Suffolk Counties in New York; and,
• Installing gates and upgrading pavement markings in communities around Philadelphia.

“FRA is committed to investing in projects that will improve safety in communities across the country,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “With investments made possible by President [Joe] Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and through coordinated efforts like the CARSI Program, we have an opportunity to improve rail crossings, keeping people safe while helping people and goods move more efficiently.”

The grants have been awarded as the North American rail industry recognizes Rail Safety Week, which is a coordinated effort to bring attention to safe behavior when on or around rail property.

FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez added, “Making highway-rail grade crossings safer is a major goal for public transportation and is an important part of our program to improve safety throughout the transit industry. These grants are a big step to help keep people safe near highway-rail grade crossings.”

The CARSI competitive grant allocations consist of two rounds. In January 2021, USDOT awarded five grants totaling $40.2 million for CARSI Round One projects, which benefited commuter rail authorities in California, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.

The CARSI Round Two grant recipients announced today are as follows:

• The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which operates Metrolink, will receive a $12.5 million grant to bring three high-volume at-grade highway-railway crossings in Ventura County up to current SCRAA Grade Crossing Safety Standards and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project will improve safety for drivers by adding protective devices, wider medians and modified crossing warning systems and improve safety for pedestrians by adding emergency swing gates and right-of-way fencing. The crossings are located either adjacent to or within areas of persistent poverty and/or historically disadvantaged communities.
• The Southern Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) will receive a $12.9 million grant to modernize 25 rail crossings on its Tri-Rail commuter rail line in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties. The project will upgrade LED lights and update signal houses, gate mechanisms, cantilevers and light assemblies. The rail line is in an area where vehicular traffic has increased and where train traffic is expected to increase over the next several years, as well.
• The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and Metro-North Railroad will receive a $4.4 million grant to make accessibility improvements for pedestrians and warning systems upgrades and to implement other safety improvements at five grade crossings located in Dutchess and Putnam Counties on the Metro-North’s Hudson and Harlem Lines, which have substantial train volumes.
• New York State Department of Transportation, along with Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), will receive a $14.9 million grant for work on nine grade crossings located in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on the LIRR’s Central, Main Line and West Hempstead Branches, including interconnection to traffic signal systems, updates to railroad flashing light signals, installation of audible warning devices, enhanced pedestrian treatments and pathways, signs and pavement markings for vehicles approaching the grade crossing and roadway resurfacing and sidewalk expansion.
• The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will receive a $15 million grant to install gates, add pavement markings and make other improvements at 22 highway-railway grade crossings in Philadelphia and in Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery Counties on its regional commuter rail system which shares significant trackage with freight carriers.

“Safety is the number one priority of the U.S. Department of Transportation, especially as our country faces a crisis of fatalities on our roadways,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today’s grants, along with additional funds from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will improve safety at highway-rail crossings for travelers, whether they’re riding, driving, biking or walking.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues funding for the FHWA Rail-Highway Crossings Program at $245 million per year for the next five years and clarifies that funds may be used for projects that reduce trespassing. In addition, the law increased Highway Safety Improvement Program funding by 34 percent, under which rail crossings safety improvements are eligible.

Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also provides $3 billion over five years to improve safety at highway-railway crossings. Under a new Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, FRA will fund many types of projects including closures, track relocations, grade separations, as well as improvement or installation of warning devices at crossings if related to a separation or relocation. In addition, FRA’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements also provides funding to eligible grade crossing safety projects.