Grants awarded for highway-rail crossing safety campaigns in 14 states

Funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the grants will be awarded to Operation Lifesaver organisations in Arizona, California, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington. These state programmes will use the funding to launch public awareness campaigns and host community events that deliver critical safety tips to target audiences, including motorists of all ages and professional drivers.

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) Executive Director, Rachel Maleh, said: “OLI is grateful to our safety partners at FHWA for making these grant-funded activities and events possible. The outreach projects will raise awareness of the need for caution near highway-rail grade crossings. Our goal is to inform drivers, reduce preventable crossing collisions and stop track tragedies.”

The approved grants have been awarded through a competitive process, with selection based on criteria such as the defined safety need, the number of highway-rail collisions in the state, and how the proposal leverages federal funds with private partnerships.

Federal Highway Administrator Nicole R. Nason, said: “Safety on American roads – including those that cross railroad tracks – is our top priority. We are proud to partner with Operation Lifesaver in a data-driven effort to keep rail-grade crossings safe for the travelling public.”