Lofgren Announces $7.5 Million in Federal Rail Safety Funding to Improve Rail Crossings in San Jose
SAN JOSE, CA – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-19) announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will provide San Jose with $7.5 million in funding to conduct preliminary engineering and environmental reviews necessary for grade separations at three currently at-grade crossings of Union Pacific Railroad tracks in San Jose.
The three crossings—Skyway Drive, Branham Lane, and Chynoweth Avenue—are adjacent to Monterey Road and have a recent history of fatal and injury-causing crashes. In December, Congresswoman Lofgren wrote to the FRA to support San Jose's application for the funding. A copy of that letter is available here.
"I'm proud that this federal funding, which I advocated for, will go to the Southern San Jose Grade Separations project," said Rep. Lofgren. "These grade separations will improve rail and vehicle safety while reducing noise and emergency vehicle response times in the area. Importantly, the improvements will also enable more frequent Caltrain service and, eventually, high-speed rail on the corridor."
Completing the preliminary engineering and environmental review will bring the three grade separations to the same level of readiness as the overall California High-Speed Rail project. This funding comes from the FRA's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. Government funding legislation for Fiscal Year 2021, which Rep. Lofgren supported, provided $375 million for the CRISI program. Under the grant, the City of San Jose will provide 25% local matching funds.
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