First Look: Rail-Related RAISE Grantees for FY24

Phoenix Valley Metro will receive $16 million for the Rio East-Dobson Streetcar Study, which eyes a 4.35-mile extension from Tempe into Mesa, Ariz. (Valley Metro Photograph)

More than $310 million in FY 2024 RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) program grants will be distributed to 23 freight and passenger rail-related projects in 19 states, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) report released June 26. Funding will go toward Arizona’s Valley Metro Rio East-Dobson streetcar extension, California’s Sprinter corridor service improvements, Michigan’s KKIL Terminal improvements, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Interborough Express Light Rail Transit planning, and Washington state’s shipping terminal rail connection at the Port of Bellingham, among other projects.  

USDOT in November issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the RAISE program; grants are for planning and capital investments that not only support rail, but also roads, bridges, transit, ports or intermodal transportation with “significant local or regional impact.”

The RAISE program “supports a diverse slate of communities with projects of local and regional significance,” according to USDOT. “Funding is split equally between urban and rural areas, and a large percentage of grants support regions defined as historically disadvantaged or areas of persistent poverty. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs.”

This year’s allocations include $1.8 billion for 148 nationwide projects (scroll down to download the complete list). The Department said it received nearly $13 billion in requests for the $1.8 billion in funding available.  

“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better instead of worse—and today we proudly announce our support for 148 more projects in communities of every size across the country,” USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding projects across the country to make roads safer, make it easier for people to move around their community, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and improve supply chains to keep costs down for consumers.” 

Rail-related RAISE projects (by state) include:

• Alabama: City of York’s Raise York Study—The City will receive $3 million to plan and design improvements at highway/rail grade crossings due to stopped and idling freight and passenger trains along Norfolk Southern’s AGS South District, which also hosts Amtrak’s Crescent service. According to USDOT, the plan will provide “recommended improvements to the multimodal freight corridor, including those that seek to reduce conflicts with residential areas, as well as with passing and non-motorized traffic.” The agency noted that the project “will conduct the planning to increase connectivity for residents, reduce dangerous at-grade rail crossings, and reduce railway blockages that currently create landlocked neighborhoods when trains pass along NS’s sidings.” The planning process is slated to “quantify and recommend new alignments to reduce the amount of unnecessary idling that occurs during the blockages of cars and trucks and contributes to transportation air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”

• Arizona: Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority’s (Maricopa County) Valley Metro Rio East-Dobson Streetcar Extension—The Authority will receive $16 million to plan an approximately 4.35-mile extension to the existing 3-mile Valley Metro Streetcar. According to USDOT, among the project benefits: helping to increase mobility and connectivity that are not available with the current bus service, including “more reliable service due to the presence of a dedicated guideway; higher capacity service; a smoother ride; direct connections; and greater visibility of service due to the presence of both the tracks and the streetcar vehicles.” Commented Valley Metro CEO Jessica Mefford-Miller: “Valley Metro, in partnership with the cities of Tempe and Mesa and our federal elected leadership, is thrilled to continue to have the USDOT at our side as we expand streetcar into the East Valley with the 2024 RAISE grant. The nearly $16 million award will help advance the Rio East-Dobson Streetcar Extension into engineering as we seek to add travel options, create safer streets, and improve air quality and connectivity in a corridor rich with diverse neighborhoods, activity centers and extensive growth.” 

• California: City of Santa Ana’s Santa Ana Boulevard’s Grade Separation Project—The City will receive $25 million to replace “an existing rail crossing with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority Orange Line double tracks at Santa Ana Boulevard, adjacent to the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, with a new multi-modal grade separated underpass.” The reconstructed roadway will be reduced from six lanes to four lanes with on-street protected bikeways, sidewalks, and a pedestrian overcrossing is included that will parallel the rail line.

• California: San Diego Unified Port District’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal (TAMT) Redevelopment Plan Phase II Planning Project—The District will receive $5 million for the planning, design, and environmental permitting for on-terminal rail track replacement, realignment, and load capacity improvements. The project will also advance the planning of seismic upgrades, concreate resurfacing, water and utility reconfiguration and upgrades, and front gate, perimeter fence, and operations center reconfiguration. According to USDOT, the project “will improve safety and cargo handling by eliminating the need to decouple/couple railcars in a constrained area, reduce conflicts with vertical obstructions, and reduce cargo rehandling to load railcars on load-strengthened track, as well as reduce personnel engaged in cargo movements and improve cargo handling capabilities by expanding heavy-lift handling and storage areas.” These improvements, the agency noted, will also reduce truck trips through the Barrio Logan neighborhood, which will reduce transportation-related pollution and improve air quality. The Port completed Phase I of the TAMT Redevelopment Plan, also known as the TAMT Modernization Project, in 2020. That project, funded in part by a $10 million Transportation Investment Generation Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the USDOT, removed two obsolete warehouses and created much-needed laydown area for project cargo like windmill components. It also included improvements to on-dock rail, utilities, and new lighting and pavement. Additionally, a stormwater treatment system was developed to maximize stormwater capture on the terminal.

• California: North County Transit District’s Sprinter Corridor Service Improvement Project-San Marcos to Escondido (San Diego County)—NCTD will receive $10.2 million for preliminary engineering and environmental clearance for rail improvements to the easternmost portion of the Sprinter rail corridor between Palomar College Station and the Escondido Transit Center. Improvements in the approximately seven-mile project area include planning for some 3.6 miles of double track, three new bridges, a new station platform, and grade crossing improvements. “The project to be planned will incorporate safety enhancements at grade crossings to reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities,” USDOT reported. “The increased frequencies of service enabled by the project assist the region in meeting federal and state goals to reduce vehicle miles travelled and greenhouse gas emissions. The planning project will improve equity among communities in San Diego County and the greater southern California region by providing these communities with greater access to employment centers, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, essential goods and services, and leisure activities. By improving service frequencies, low-income, disadvantaged, housing burdened, and linguistically isolated populations will have increased opportunities to move throughout the region.” Commented NCTD CEO Shawn M. Donaghy: “The Sprinter Corridor Service Improvement Project will pave the way for a transformational increase in transit service levels that will benefit communities throughout the region. Continuing to improve infrastructure on the corridor will enhance service and the rider experience on the Sprinter.” According to NCTD, the funding “is a major milestone in efforts to double Sprinter service frequency from 30 minutes to 15 minutes.”

• Florida: City of Lake Wale’s Lake Wales Complete Streets Project—The City will receive $22.9 million to fund the Complete Streets redevelopment of four road segments: 1st Street, Central Avenue, A Street, and Lincoln Avenue. USDOT said that among the improvements are a “road diet, a separated cycle track, expanded ADA-accessible sidewalks, safety enhancements at crosswalks and railroad crossings, increased shade tree canopy cover and raingardens, lighting, underground high-speed fiber, and streetlight power sources, and streetscaping.”

• Georgia: City of Fairburn’s Warehousing and Distribution Center Community Safety Improvements project—The City will receive $1.0 million to facilitate the planning and design of pedestrian safety improvements along U.S. 29 and near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Harbor Lake. Planned improvements include a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 29 and CSX. Project activities will include preliminary engineering, project design and permitting, compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), public outreach, and stakeholder coordination. The project will also plan and analyze Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) improvements. Among the benefits, according to USDOT: “The project will plan for improved pedestrian safety along the freight corridor, which includes the Fairburn CSX terminal, warehousing, and manufacturing facilities. The project’s plan will facilitate a simplified crossing for workers commuting via public transit to and from the Bohannon Road and Logistics Center Drive area, who are often without access to reliable private vehicles.”

• Iowa: City of Dubuque’s North End, Point, and Washington Neighborhood Rail Overpass and Complete Streets Improvements—The City will receive $25 million to construct a grade-separated overpass on 14th Street over the Canadian Pacific Kansas City tracks, roundabouts along 16th Street, Complete Street enhancements on 16th Street and Elm Street, and a shared-use path on 16th Street across the Peosta Channel Bridge. Among the projects benefits: “A new vehicular and pedestrian/bike overpass at the 14th Street railroad tracks will reduce significant train-related delays that impair the efficient movement of people and freight,” USDOT reported. “The roundabout at 16th Street, Admiral Sheehy Drive, and Greyhound Park Road, as well as the railroad overpass will improve traffic operations and reduce crash severity.”

• Illinois: America’s Central Port’s (Madison County) Interconnect Track Planning Project—The Port will receive $550,000 to plan “a freight rail connection for the interconnect track to link the Port’s Granite City Harbor, which is located north of Locks #27 on the Mississippi River, with the Madison Harbor, which is located south of the Locks,” USDOT reported. Activities will include public engagement, a feasibility study, review of any existing work, preliminary design, and a benefit cost analysis. “The proposed ‘Y’ interchange will allow unit trains at both harbors to turn around and access all six Class I railroads in the country, as well as allow for more efficient rail movements and additional storage,” USDOT said. “The study will assess how the new Interconnect Track will impact the various at-grade crossings both on the Port property and along the Class I rail track junction, which will feed into both harbor facilities. Processing unit trainsets within the Port is anticipated to result in the reduction of nonmotorized and motorized traveler safety risks by minimizing at-grade rail crossings. By improving the effectiveness and efficiency of rail movements, the interconnect track will promote mode shift from medium and heavy-duty vehicles to rail transport, a mode which emits less greenhouse gas emissions.”

• Illinois: City of Lake County’s Cedar Lake Road Realignment and Mobility Improvement Project—The City will receive $18.8 million to construct a new alignment for Cedar Lake Road from Hart Road to Nippersink Road. The project will also include approximately five new intersections, ADA sidewalks, shared-use path, bicycle path, sidewalks, and pedestrian crossings. Additionally, the project will update the Round Lake Metra Station with a platform extension and improvements, consolidation of commuter parking, warming shelters, bus stop shelters, and kiss and ride facilities on each side of the commuter railroad tracks. USDOT said that redirecting regional passthrough traffic via the new alignment west of the downtown area will reduce the frequency of crashes and the number of injury crashes to increase overall safety, and transit station improvement and added active transportation facilities “will increase affordable transportation choices and mobility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through modal shift.”

• Massachusetts: City of Salem’s South Salem Commuter Rail Stop Project—The City will receive $2.8 million for the planning, engineering, and architectural design, environmental, and PS&E (Plans, Specifications, and Estimates) for a new Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail stop in South Salem between Canal Street and Jefferson Avenue. According to USDOT, this project “will increase safety for non-motorized travelers through the design of a new pedestrian bridge over the tracks, eliminating risks to those walking to the train,,” and also “plan for the reduction of fatalities and/or serious injuries in underserved communities by creating a new commuter rail train stop and reducing vehicle dependance.” Additionally, the new pedestrian foot bridge is slated to connect key destinations within the city, as well as increase affordable transportation options.

• Maryland: City of Aberdeen’s Aberdeen Transit-Oriented Development-Station Square Phase II project—The City will receive $800,000 for the second phase of pre-construction activities, including 60% design and planning, environmental site analysis, and establishment of right-of-way needs for future improvements at the Aberdeen MARC/Amtrak Train Station. “The project study will address rail and platform improvements, ADA accessibility, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and other multimodal improvements,” USDOT reported. “The project to be planned will include safety benefits through the creation of an underpass that is fully accessible and ADA compliant. The project will also increase multi-modal safety through redesigning streets to be safer for bicyclists. It is estimated that the project will reduce air pollution, improve stormwater collection, as well as use sustainable infrastructure and design. Quality of life and mobility and community connectivity will be addressed for this underserved population by creating a more accessible transportation center with more frequent transit service and expanded non-motorized infrastructure that incorporates mixed use development.”

• Michigan: City of Menominee’s KKIL Terminal Improvements Project—The City will receive $21.3 million to reconstruct a deteriorated dock wall, install approximately three rail spurs with switching capability, add covered storage, and purchase and install various cargo handling equipment to redevelop Menominee Harbor’s general cargo transportation terminal. “The project will reduce the number of heavy-duty trucks on roads, which is anticipated to enhance safety for motorized and nonmotorized travelers,” USDOT reported. “Environmental sustainability is addressed through the reduction of transportation related air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by shifting truck trips to marine and rail trips.” The project will also increase freight movement by increasing maritime berthing and rail capacity at the KKIL Terminal.

• Montana: City of Belgrade’s Belgrade Urban Improvements project—The City will receive $25 million to construct a new highway/rail grade separation, install a new signal at the intersection of Jackrabbit Lane and Main Street, widen Jackrabbit Lane from the existing three-lane configuration (two travel lanes with a center two-way left-turn lane) to a five-lane configuration (four travel lanes with a center construct a new highway-rail grade separation, install a new signal at the intersection of Jackrabbit Lane and Main Street, widen Jackrabbit Lane from the existing three-lane configuration (two travel lanes with a center two-way left-turn lane) to a five-lane configuration (four travel lanes with a center two-way left-turn lane) with new curbs, gutters, and non-motorized (pedestrian/bicycle) accommodations.) with new curbs, gutters, and non-motorized (pedestrian/bicycle) accommodations. According to USDOT, the project targets a known safety problem and seeks to protect motorized and non-motorized travelers from the safety risks inherent with an at-grade railroad crossing. The project also aims to alleviate prolonged delays and congestion during peak hours and when the crossing is occupied by trains.

• North Dakota: City of West Fargo’s 9th NE Grade Separation Project—The City will receive $23.8 million for the installation of a highway/rail grade separation complete with pedestrian, bicycle, and ADA accommodations at the intersection of 9th Street NE and an existing BNSF rail line. The grade separation will reduce the risk of collision and potential fatalities, and the project aligns with the North Dakota carbon reduction strategy and “addresses negative environmental impacts of transportation on disadvantaged communities,” according to USDOT.

• Nevada: Northern Nevada Development Authority’s The Port of Nevada-A Sustainable Intermodal Development project—The Authority will receive $6.1 million to develop a master plan and complete preliminary design and NEPA to support the approximately 658-acre expansion of the existing 74-acre Western Nevada Transload. The expansion will include approximately 2.8 million square feet of industrial building space, approximately 80 acres of container storage yards, approximately 20,000 lineal feet of new rail, and an approximately 10-acre commercial district to support the on-site workforce. “Planning efforts aim to position the port at the forefront of sustainable industrial development, offering the benefits of long-haul modal shift to rail, combined with pioneering environmentally conscious facility design,” USDOT reported. “Efforts will aim to reduce truck mileage because of the new facility’s bulk and intermodal transloading capabilities. The expansion will alleviate pressure on coastal ports and address long-standing challenges within the Nevada business community, such as interconnectivity between transportation modes and infrastructure deficiencies.”

• New York: New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Interborough Express Light Rail Transit-Corridor Profile Planning Assessment—MTA will receive $15 million to prepare a Corridor Profile Planning Assessment for the Interborough Express (IBX) project. “The IBX is a high-capacity light rail transit link that would provide a critical direct public transit connection between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City,” USDOT reported. “The project will shift travelers from higher-risk modes of travel and make street-level improvements that will further improve safety for everyone. Environmental sustainability will be addressed by reducing transportation-related air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in disadvantaged communities. Quality of life will be addressed by increasing affordable transportation choices in the project area. Additionally, improvements to the transit system in the area will increase access to daily destinations, enhance opportunities for TOD, and support location-efficient land uses. Mobility and community connectivity will be addressed by improving system-wide connectivity with access to transit and increase accessibility for non-motorized travelers in underserved communities.”

• Oregon: City of Salem’s Front Street Redevelopment Transportation Corridor Plan—The City will receive $2.7 million to conduct an alternatives analysis and a preliminary engineering study for an approximately 3,700-foot section of Front Street between South Street NE and the Front Street NE Bypass. The project will identify improvements to Front Street to encourage and support redevelopment in the corridor. “Planning efforts will seek to address safety risks for all road users due to high-speeds, numerous unsignalized intersections, and at-grade rail crossings,” USDOT reported. “The corridor features seven unsignalized intersections in less than one mile. Additionally, the nine at-grade rail crossings in the corridor do not have crossing gates or warning lights.”

• Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Westpark Redevelopment Infrastructure Project—The Authority will receive $21.4 million to construct an extension of the existing street grid in West Philadelphia to connect the Westpark campus to a rail station and park space. “The Westpark campus is separated by the surrounding community due to a substantial grade change, physical walls, and an auto-oriented design,” USDOT reported. “The reconnection of Westpark will improve economic access and opportunity for returning residents and increase the supply of affordable housing that is connected to existing rail, bus, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure.”

• Pennsylvania: Borough of Sharpsburg’s Reconnecting the Allegheny Riverfront to Economic Opportunity Project—The Borough will receive $25 million to plan, design, and construct an approximately 300-foot bridge over the Conemaugh rail line; approximately 0.71 miles of road that connects to the riverfront district; approximately 1.19 miles of multi-use trail on the shoreline of the river; and improvements to approximately six bus stops along Main Street. “Safety will be addressed by protecting non-motorized travelers from safety risks through the construction of sidewalks and rail crossing where there currently are none,” USDOT reported. “Quality of life will be addressed by increasing affordable transit options by improving access to Pittsburg Regional Transit’s Route #1 and Route #91. The project will also reduce transportation and housing cost burdens. Mobility and community connectivity will be addressed by bridging an impassable section of rail line that divides the Borough of Sharpsburg. Removing this barrier will result in a continuous active transportation facility that connects to neighboring towns and provides a direct link to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail which had one million users in 2022.”

• South Carolina: Greenville County’s Sans Souci Connector project—The County will receive $20.3 million to construct approximately 2.2 miles of shared-use path with approximately five grade separations and e-bike charging stations. According to USDOT, connectivity will be addressed by removing physical barriers by connecting underserved communities to the Swamp Rabbit Trail network and create above grade crossings with grades less than 5% and have other ADA-compliant features. The project directly links communities and schools and supports local and regional plans for improved connectivity and rail safety.

• South Dakota: City of Rapid City’s Comprehensive Downtown Railroad Safety Solutions project—The City will receive $1.1 million to plan and design safety improvements for at-grade rail crossings in the downtown area. Project activities will potentially include a feasibility study, NEPA analysis, benefit-cost analysis, right-of-way survey, engineering design, and public engagement, according to USDOT, which noted that the project deliverables “will align with the City’s plans already being developed through a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) planning grant that Rapid City was awarded in 2023.”  USDOT reported that “quality of life will be addressed by integrating rail crossing improvements with affordable housing and mixed-use economic development efforts,” and “mobility and community connectivity will be addressed by the creation of alternate routes around the tracks given trains can create gridlock, and in the event of a stalled train or accident, can cut the city in half.” Crossings will be made ADA compliant, with sidewalk connections. 

• Washington: Port of Bellingham’s Shipping Terminal Rail Connection project—The Port will receive $17.9 million for the final design and construction of improvements that will reinstate on-dock and near-dock rail connections to the shipping terminal. The project will also connect the terminal to the BNSF main line to provide direct rail service in and out of the port. “The new rail connections will improve safety by reducing truck traffic through densely populated residential neighborhoods near the Port,” said USDOT. “The reduction in truck traffic due to a modal shift to rail will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE RAISE PROJECT LIST: