Governor DeWine Announces Ohio Rail Crossing Elimination Program

On Wednesday, September 9, Governor DeWine announced that federal grants are available to local communities to address dangerous railroad crossings. This $100 million was appropriated in the biennial budget and will be distributed under the announced Ohio Rail Crossing Elimination Program. 

"To compete for federal grants, communities need the resources to develop the projects, prepare federal applications, and commit matching funds to make Ohio's grant applications competitive," DeWine said in a release. "Railroad grade projects can be complex and expensive, and without state assistance, most communities do not have the resources to develop them. This program will provide support to get these projects moving in the right direction."

Ohio has about 5,700 railroad grade crossings, according to the state. The new funding will "support the work of local communities to engineer construction projects to eliminate these crossings and pay matching funds that are required for additional support from the Federal Railroad Administration."

The Ohio Rail Development Commission has reported more than 10,500 blocked crossing filings since 2019. Learn more about the program, view the application, and learn how your township can access to the funds on ORDC's website.