A new funding source, sought by Michigan railroads, is available beginning winter 2017 to local road agencies for improving rail grade crossing surfaces on roads under the jurisdiction of the county road agency/department, cities or villages. Projects utilizing
the Local Grade Crossing Surface Account will be 60 percent covered by the account, with the remaining 40 percent being funded by the railroad company.
The legislative intent of this Act 51 carve-out is to provide financial assistance for railroads to improve crossings on active rail lines.In 2017, $3 million will be made available for local rail grade crossing projects.
Eligibility: Eligible projects are limited to crossing repair work that is normally the responsibility of the railroad in accordance with PA 354 of 1993.
How to Prepare: Get an estimate for improving the crossing from the railroad company responsible for it. Be sure they agree to pay 40 percent of the overall project. Make sure ADTs (average daily traffic) are accurate and up to date.
How to Submit: MDOT’s new application will be available in December 2016. The form will look similar to the application used on the warning device safety improvement program. It will be a simple one-page form, and will be released with submission instructions.
Timeframe: Once the estimated one-month submission window closes, local road agencies can expect to hear about applications within a month. MDOT expects to
authorize projects 4-8 weeks after project selections are made.
Projects are Prioritized Based on:
- Validated vehicular traffic volume (ADT);
- Relative surface condition (RSC);
- Ability of local agency and railroad to coordinate repairs with adjacent road work: and
- The availability of funding
Projects will be ranked by ADT and RSC. After the top candidate in both categories within each MDOT Region has been selected, the next-in-line projects statewide will be funded until applications or annual budget is exhausted.
Please click on the following link for the Michigan Railroads Association Surface Grade Crossing Railroad Contact list. click-here
John LaMacchia is the Assistant Director of State and Federal Affairs for the League handling transportation, infrastructure, energy and environment issues. He can be reached at jlamacchia@mml.org or 517-908-0303.