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Rail crossings are a vital part of our transportation infrastructure, but they also present real challenges. With over 2,000 incidents and 200 deaths annually, at-grade rail crossings are the second leading cause of rail-related fatalities in the U.S. It's clear that more can—and should—be done to protect lives and improve mobility. Mary Scott Nabers, writing for Railway Age (paywalled link in comments), highlights promising grade-crossing elimination projects across the country. These efforts, backed by federal, state, and local funding, aim to separate roadways from rail lines, reducing congestion, increasing safety, and ensuring that emergency responders can get where they’re needed. Take the $52 million project in Pelham, Alabama, for example. A new bridge will replace two dangerous crossings, freeing up blocked roads and ensuring better access for emergency vehicles. Or the $61.8 million Glendale, California project, which will eliminate a high-traffic crossing ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics, creating safer, more efficient connections between Glendale and Los Angeles. Projects like these are investments in lives, communities, and commerce. They're a commonsense approach to addressing a persistent issue with real benefits for public safety and economic growth. Programs like the USDOT/FRA Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant ensure that we can continue this momentum, tackling long-standing infrastructure challenges in ways that benefit both the public and private sectors. By building bridges—literally and figuratively—across America, we ensure a safer, more efficient and prosperous American future. Got dangerous or regularly blocked crossings in your community? Get in touch and we can help your leaders identify the fixes and funding you need.

Whether its easing road congestion or collaborating on public safety grants like separating at-grade crossings, cities and railroads have a long history of partnership. Take a look at this great article about six things to know about railroads in your communities from the National League of Cities 👇 https://lnkd.in/gdy37BC3

Harrisburg, PA / 08/14/2024 / Penndot – The State Transportation Commission (#STC) today adopted the 2025 12-Year #Transportation Program (TYP). The plan anticipates that $88 billion will be available over the next 12 years for improvements to roads, bridges, transit systems, airports, railroads, and active transportation — an increase of more than 5% from the 2023 TYP. The TYP, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)'s official mid-range planning tool, lists statewide planned projects across all modes of transportation and assigns funding over a 12-year period. The TYP also highlights some of PennDOT's initiatives and accomplishments over the past two years ranging from the modernization of train stations to implementing innovative strategies and the latest technologies to enhance safety and efficiency across a wide range of operations.  “Transportation planning is a lengthy and collaborative process. By the time a new project starts in your neighborhood, it's already several years old," said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “PennDOT is always seeking ways to improve transportation infrastructure, and we look forward to putting the next 12 years of improvements into motion for travelers around the state."  The newly adopted program, which takes effect October 1, 2024, anticipates the following funding availability in the first four years of the TYP from federal, state, and local sources: $16.4 billion for state highway and bridge projects $12.5 billion for public transit $352 million for multimodal projects $236 million for rail freight $175 million for aviation Four Rural Planning Organizations, 19 Metropolitan Planning Organizations and one independent county partnered with PennDOT to review and develop the update. Now that the STC has adopted the update, it has been submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration for review. The FHWA coordinates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review the plan's conformity with air quality requirements.  Public input early in the TYP planning process played a key role in identifying investments in the various transportation modes.  The State Transportation CommissionOpens In A New Window is chaired by the PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll and consists of ten appointed citizens as well as the majority and minority chairs of the state House and Senate Transportation committees. Pennsylvania State Law, Act 120 of 1970 requires PennDOT to prepare, update, and submit Pennsylvania's TYP every two years to the STC.  

TEXAS LEADS THE CHARGE: North Texas is at the forefront of groundbreaking transportation advancements, and the recent push for expanding high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston is a testament to that! With the news that politicians are flirting with the idea of reviving the ambitious Texas Central rail project, soon we might see passengers zipping between these major metropolitan regions at speeds over 200 miles per hour! This project isn't just about convenience; it's a visionary solution to alleviate chronic congestion on our busiest highways. As our population continues to grow, it's clear that innovative solutions like high-speed rail are crucial to meeting future transportation needs. Despite challenges, the commitment to progress and innovation remains strong. With North Texas' population expected to soar from 8.1 million to over 11 million by 2045, it's essential to stay ahead of the curve. And who better to lead this charge than Texas? At Slaughter Investing, we're excited about the potential this brings for our communities and real estate markets. Get started on your investing journey by registering for our events over at https://lnkd.in/gNwjyeJq READ ABOUT RAIL PROJECT: https://lnkd.in/gcguj5i3 #TexasInnovation #HighSpeedRail #NorthTexas #RealEstate #InvestInTheFuture #SlaughterInvesting #TransportationRevolution

Officials broke ground Monday on a new high-speed rail system that will connect Southern California and Las Vegas. The Brightline West system will average speeds of about 115 miles per hour and reach a top speed of around 200 mph, comparable to other high-speed systems around the world. The Eurostar between London and Paris averages speeds of about 150 mph and tops out at around 200 mph. Amtrak’s current Acela line from Boston to Washington, D.C., travels up to 150 mph, but averages speeds of just 70 mph. Acela has plans for a high-speed fleet that will reach 160 mph. The Brightline West system, touted as the “first true high-speed rail system” in the U.S., will run across a 218-mile route between Las Vegas and three California stops including Rancho Cucamonga, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles. The project received $3 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the rest will be privately funded, according to the company. “I’m convinced that the first time Americans actually experience American high-speed rail on U.S. soil, there’s going to be no going back and people are going to expect and demand it all across the country,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a CNBC interview on Monday. Brightline West aims to be operational in 2028, when Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics. The train will get passengers from Southern California to Las Vegas in about two hours, about half the driving time according to the company. The project is expected to have an over $10 billion economic impact and will create more than 35,000 jobs in Nevada and California during the construction, according to the release. “Through this visionary partnership, we are going to create thousands of jobs, bring critical transportation infrastructure to the West, and create an innovative, fast, and sustainable transportation solution,” Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said in a statement Monday. Brightline’s first rail system launched in Florida and the route spans between Miami and Orlando. Trains reach speeds of up to 125 mph, connecting the two cities in about 3.5 hours.

**Progress on Texas Infrastructure: Webber Excels on I-10 Widening Project** Webber, a Ferrovial company, is making significant headway on the 47-mile Interstate 10 widening project between Houston and Beaumont, remaining ahead of schedule on this vital initiative. Designed to improve safety and efficiency, this upgrade addresses one of Texas's busiest transportation corridors. As a key segment of the national freight network, this stretch of I-10 serves daily commuters and supports a substantial portion of commercial freight traffic across the southern U.S. The project’s transformative benefits include: ◾ Expanding the highway from four lanes to six in select areas to ease congestion. ◾ Upgrading bridges, drainage systems, and access points for improved safety and resilience. ◾ Enhancing mobility for commercial and local vehicles, bolstering economic growth and connectivity for millions of users annually. Webber’s progress highlights its commitment to delivering large-scale infrastructure projects through innovation, teamwork, and efficient problem-solving, even under challenging conditions. This effort is part of TxDOT’s larger mission to modernize infrastructure and support the rapid growth of the Lone Star State. #Infrastructure #HighwayConstruction #TexasDOT #TransportationProjects #CivilEngineering #RoadWidening #ConstructionUpdates #Webber #InnovationInConstruction #EconomicGrowth #I10Widening #TexasInfrastructure #EfficientPlanning

🚗 Investing in Safety for Regional NSW 🚗 The recent $202 million investment in road safety upgrades across regional NSW is more than just an infrastructure initiative—it's a commitment to saving lives. With regional areas accounting for a disproportionate number of road fatalities, these 72 projects under the Towards Zero program are crucial. From safety barriers to road widening, these upgrades aim to prevent over 2,000 serious crashes. It’s great to see a focused effort on ensuring that everyone, whether a local or a visitor, can travel safely on our roads. #Infrastructure #RoadSafety #NSW #TowardsZero

This week marks the National Road Safety Week and highlights the rise in road trauma and the lack of consistent road data set. The government is investing $21 million in the National Road Safety Data Hub in a bid to boost data sharing between states. The Federal Government has stated that having a clear image, supported by data, of where to best target road safety money will save lives and guarantee that funds are invested in the projects that will have the greatest impact. This work is critical toward achieving the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries on Australian roads. #NationalRoadSafetyWeek #roadsafety #roaddata #infrastructure #roads #dataanalytics #roadtrauma #NRATExpo NTRO - National Transport Research Organisation, Austroads, Roads Australia, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), National Transport Commission, Australian Road Safety Foundation, National Roads & Traffic Expo https://lnkd.in/gKHkubZN

Note the claim in the last paragraph: “Under Commissioner McMurry’s stewardship, GDOT has emerged as a #P3 leader, notably with the successful implementation of transformative efforts like the I-75 Northwest Corridor Express Lanes and the I-285/SR 400 Interchange reconstruction. Those projects, delivered through innovative Design-Build-Finance models, are significantly enhancing traffic flow in the metro Atlanta area and improving commuter experiences while setting new benchmarks for efficiency and public benefit.” Do highway expansion projects ever provide enduring enhancements to traffic flow? This #transportation agency in the US state of #Georgia clearly thinks so, but where is their proof? Current research indicates the opposite: expanded roads are known induce demand, which results in more congestion. Is this award an attempt by the highway #planning establishment to justify the vast expenditures on these projects that inevitably fail their primary mission? https://lnkd.in/ePxjJxwt

The construction of a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas is moving closer to realization, thanks to a $64 million grant provided by the federal government to Amtrak, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply. However, the project is far from finished. For ... #Highspeedtrains #Railtransport #RailtransportationintheUnitedStates