The federal government spends billions of dollars on bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure to move traffic over, under and around railroad tracks. But for many residents and local officials, that’s an imperfect way to ease congestion on roads often blocked by freight trains.
To take advantage of the federal money, communities must find a way to cover some of the cost of expensive upgrades. In addition, it can be difficult or impossible to build bridges and tunnels.
Some towns and cities have successfully worked with railroads to reschedule operations or remove tracks from busy roads. But many local officials complain that railroads are often unwilling to help, leaving communities with few options.
“Everyone loves trains and we appreciate the economic benefits of it, but we’re tired of being held hostage,” said Brad Rogers, a member of Indiana’s Elkhart County Commission.
Ten years ago, when he was sheriff, Mr. Rogers sent deputies to hand out tickets to Norfolk Southern crews whose trains were interfering with traffic. The tickets helped draw attention to blocked crossings and congestion eased for a while. But the railroad sued the state, and the Indiana Supreme Court overturned the law authorizing local officials to fine railroads for blocking crossings.
The Association of American Railroads, which represents major freight railroads, has said its members are working with local officials to ease congestion at the crossing when they can, but that the problem is complex and a result of years of limited government funding for infrastructure improvements.
“As railroads started connecting the country, people put down roots and built communities alongside them,” John Gray, a senior vice president at the association, said in a statement. “Railways allowed the roads to cross the tracks by using level crossings rather than grade separations, as was the norm in populated areas of most other developed regions of the world. The public entities, always eager to save a few dollars, quickly agreed.”
Most states regulate blocked crossings, but courts have overruled several of those laws, ruling that only the federal government can enact and enforce such regulations. Indiana and nearly 20 other states recently joined Ohio in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether states are allowed to enact such regulations.
Congress provided approximately $3 billion in 2021 to help fund projects that would ease congestion at commonly blocked railroad crossings. In June, the Biden administration awarded the first round of grants from that fund, about $570 million, to make improvements to more than 400 crossings.
Houston will receive $37 million to build four underpasses and eliminate seven intersections. Pelham, Ala., near Birmingham, is getting nearly $42 million to build a bridge and eliminate two railroad crossings along a road that divides the city. Olathe, Kan., near Kansas City, is receiving approximately $18 million to build a sidewalk overpass that will allow children to attend school and connect bicyclists and walkers to a trail system.
“What’s exciting about this moment is that for the first time there’s specific, dedicated funding – and quite a lot of it – to address this,” the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said in an interview.
Even before Congress made this money available, some local governments had found ways to lessen the impact of trains blocking crosswalks. In Utah, community groups are building a pedestrian bridge that will cross three Union Pacific rail lines and two local transit lines near a high school in Salt Lake City. Congestion there often blocks roads, forcing some residents to squeeze through trains or crawl under trains.
But some communities can’t come up with the matching funds for bridge and tunnel projects or to pay for maintenance. In some areas it is not practical to build overpasses or underpasses.
So many communities have opted for cheaper solutions.
Officials in West Springfield and Agawam, Massachusetts, sought federal funds to build a bridge over a railroad crossing along a road connecting the cities, but failed to win a grant. Officials are therefore dependent on signs with flashing lights that warn people when a train is crossing the road.
Those lights helped, but increased congestion on other roads. And medical responders still have to drive farther to avoid blocked crosswalks.
“We can’t even estimate the damage it caused,” Agawam Mayor Bill Sapelli said. “If they went around instead of taking the shortest route and someone didn’t make it, and it was a matter of minutes, that makes a difference.”
Mr. Rogers, the Indiana Commissioner, recently visited a city that uses a system developed by Trainfo, a Canadian company. The company uses acoustic sensors and software to identify oncoming and stopped trains. That information can be sent to road signs, emergency centers or social media feeds.
“We wanted to sort this out with the train companies, but apparently that’s not going to happen,” Mr Rogers said. “So we try to think outside the box.”
Mark Walker reporting contributed.
