Wasserman Schultz Announces $15.7 Million in Federal Rail Safety Grants to Curb Local Collisions and Blocked Crossings

“I want to deliver safer, speedier travel and cut down commute times in South Florida, and that requires an across government effort, so I’m proud that President Biden and Congress partnered to deliver that help to our community,” said Wasserman Schultz. “These rail improvement grants will help our community save lives and arrive to work, school and shops more swiftly. That’s why I did not hesitate to write to Secretary Pete Buttigieg urge him to fund Broward County’s application.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced that Broward County and the City of Fort Lauderdale have been awarded $15.7 million in combined grants from the first-ever round of funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s new Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program. Wasserman Schultz helped secure passage of President Biden’s historic infrastructure law.

“I want to deliver safer, speedier travel and cut down commute times in South Florida, and that requires an across government effort, so I’m proud that President Biden and Congress partnered to deliver that help to our community,” said Wasserman Schultz. “These rail improvement grants will help our community save lives and arrive to work, school and shops more swiftly. That’s why I did not hesitate to write to Secretary Pete Buttigieg urge him to fund Broward County’s application.”

The two federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act grants will fund:

The Broward County Sealed Corridor Project ($15,440,000) will implement safety features that include exit gates and medians at 21 crossings along Florida East Coast Railway’s rail line, a freight corridor shared with Brightline’s passenger service. The MPO, along with Dania Beach, Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, and Pompano Beach, will contribute a 20 percent non-Federal match.

City of Fort Lauderdale Railroad Safety and Congestion Analysis ($280,000) project will study 15 crossings within the city along the existing Florida East Coast Railway corridor, to help identify rail safety measures at crossings where freight and passenger services expand in the next couple years. The study will focus on traffic, delays, and interactions at the crossings, and how to reduce delays caused by Florida East Coast Railroad and Brightline trains. Fort Lauderdale is providing a 20 percent non-Federal match.

“Every year, commuters, residents, and first responders lose valuable time waiting at blocked railroad crossings—and worse, those crossings are too often the site of collisions that could be prevented,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re improving rail crossings in communities across the country to save lives, time, and resources for American families.” 

Over each of the next four years, additional Railroad Crossing Elimination Program funding will be made available annually and communities are encouraged to apply. Project selections for other grant programs in IIJA that will improve freight rail safety and efficiency, strengthen supply chains, and expand the passenger rail network – representing billions of dollars in infrastructure law investments – will be announced in the coming months.