Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Federal Railroad Administration is accepting applications through Oct. 4 for a new Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program.
The discretionary grant program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will provide $3 billion over five years to improve safety and wait times at railroad crossings while ensuring efficient and affordable movement of freight.
More than $573 million is available this year, with at least 20% of funding to be awarded to rural and tribal areas. Individual grants will be at least $1 million, except for planning projects, with no predetermined maximum. No more than 20% of total grant funds will be awarded per state.
Cities and towns are eligible to apply, as well as states, local and tribal governments, metropolitan planning organizations, public port authorities, and collaborations of these entities.
Eligible projects include:
• Grade separations or closures
• Track relocation
• Improvement to or installation of protective devices, signals, signs, or other safety related measures
• Other safety improvements related to the mobility of people and goods at highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossings
• Planning, environmental review, and design of eligible projects
Project proposals will be evaluated based on their potential to improve safety by eliminating crossings or improving existing grade crossings; increase access to emergency services; reduce emissions; provide economic benefit; and hire locally.
The Federal Railroad Administration also seeks to fund projects that will:
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and align with the president’s climate and environmental goals
• Address environmental justice
• Address racial equity and barriers to opportunity or redress prior inequities and barriers to opportunity
• Target at least 40 percent of resources and benefits toward low-income communities, disadvantaged communities, communities underserved by affordable transportation, or overburdened communities (to the extent possible)
Applications are to be submitted via Grants.gov.
For more information, contact Douglas Gascon in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Policy and Planning at douglas.gascon@dot.gov or 202-493-0239.