Ohio Rail Development Commission touts success of Gov. DeWine’s Ohio Grade Crossing Elimination Program

The Ohio Rail Development Commission announced the successful conclusion of the Ohio Grade Crossing Elimination Program (OGCEP), which was created by Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly in House Bill 33 to assist communities with highway-railroad grade crossing safety projects. 

During its meeting this month, the Commission approved $39 million in funding for six rail grade elimination projects in Delaware, Franklin, Lucas, Scioto, Seneca and Union counties. These awards exhaust all remaining funding allocated to the $85 million program, which was developed to improve road safety in communities by replacing railroad-highway crossings with new roadway alignments and/or access roads.

“By helping communities replace these railroad crossings, we are improving safety by eliminating the risk of train-vehicle collisions and ensuring that our first responders are no longer left waiting at a blocked railroad track,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “As this program winds down, I appreciate all the work of the Ohio Rail Development Commission to make it a success.”

In total, OGCEP awarded funds to 15 communities across the state to support rail safety projects and help communities compete for federal grants from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Because grade crossing elimination projects are often complex and expensive, many communities do not have the resources to compete for federal funding without assistance from the state.

Railroad grade crossings are both a safety hazard and a barrier to traffic, including emergency vehicles. Since the Federal Railroad Administration began collecting blocked crossing data in late 2019, more than 10,500 reports of blocked crossings in Ohio have been filed.