$64M federal grant will help California improve rail crossings, reduce train-car collisions

LOS ANGELES -- The Biden Administration has announced more than $64 million in funding to help reduce train and vehicle collisions in California.

The money will help improve crossings that are dangerous or that become frequently blocked.

Nationwide last year there were more than 2,000 rail-crossing collisions.

There were also more than 30,000 reports of blocked crossings.

The California funding is part of $570 million being provided nationwide under the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program to 63 projects in 32 states. It was authorized under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The California projects include:

• Banning (Riverside County): Hargrave Grade Separation Planning Project, $2.8 million.
• Palo Alto: Grade Separation at Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive and Charleston Road, $6 million.
• Riverside: Third Street Grade Separation Project, $15 million.
• Los Angeles County Rail Crossing Elimination Master Plan, $600,000.
• Los Angeles County: Sierra Highway Crossing Elimination Planning Project, $700,000.
• Glendale/Los Angeles: Doran Street Grade Separation Project (Metro), $38 million.
• San Diego: At-Grade Crossing Elimination Study, $1.1 million.