PUCO approves upgrade of grade crossing as part of the Allen and Van Wert counties railroad corridor project

COLUMBUS, OHIO (Sept. 23, 2009) – The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) today approved the installation of flashing lights and roadway gates at an additional grade crossing as part of the Allen and Van Wert counties railroad corridor project approved by the PUCO in July 2009.

Chicago, Ft. Wayne & Eastern Railroad (CFER) will install flashing lights and roadway gates at the Canal Street (532-746P) grade crossing crossings located in the city of Delphos within the railroad corridor project. The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) received funding for the railroad corridor project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

CFER must submit site plans and cost estimates for the railroad corridor project, including the Canal Street grade crossing, to the PUCO by Oct. 6, 2009. ARRA reimbursable costs for the railroad corridor project may not exceed $778,600. Any costs exceeding ARRA funding will be reimbursed from ORDC’s safety funding up to $2 million. CFER will be responsible for completing construction of the upgrade by Jan. 8, 2011.

To increase public safety during the construction of this upgrade, the PUCO will assist the local government with the cost of improvements such as rumble strips, illumination, improved signage, or other safety enhancements at the locations of the projects. Funding for these improvements will come from the State Grade Crossing Safety Fund, and will not exceed $5,000 at each project location.

The PUCO is responsible for evaluating Ohio’s public grade crossings to determine the need for installing active warning devices. In 2008, the PUCO played a part in the installation of lights and gates at 38 grade crossings throughout the state. Over the past two decades, the annual number of train-motor vehicle crashes in Ohio has decreased significantly, from 412 in 1988 to 82 in 2008.

The Ohio Rail Hotline, at (866) 814-RAIL (7245), provides Ohioans with a toll-free resource for all railroad crossing questions. For more information regarding these crossings, access the Ohio railroad information system Web site at http://gradecrossings.puco.ohio.gov.

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