The Railway Upgrades for Rural American Lines (RURAL) Act would provide states with additional flexibility in the use of Section 130 funds— allowing dollars to be spent towards the replacement of functionally obsolete warning devices

Senator Warnock is pushing revitalized rural infrastructure that would create safer job opportunities and ensure and expand state connectivity

Senator Reverend Warnock: “Much of rural Georgia has inadequate crossing equipment, which not only leads to inconvenient and costly delays for local businesses and commuters, but also endangers our communities and railroad workers. It doesn’t have to stay that way, especially with the RURAL Act as a practical solution”

Georgia Department of Transportation: “The Georgia Department of Transportation supports the expanded use of Section 130 railway-highway crossing program funding. These proposed modifications would aid states with the greater flexibility to ensure these funds are used in the most strategic way possible”

Norfolk Southern: “Norfolk Southern puts safety first in all of our work. The Rural Act, as introduced by Senator Warnock, provides smart policies that will modernize the warning technologies at railroad grade crossings and facilitate other changes to maintain a safe environment for motorists”

Read the full bill text here

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced S. 1919, the Railway Upgrades for Rural American Lines (RURAL) Act in order to build on the successes already found through the Section 130 grant program and help states modernize unsafe or functionally outdated railroad warning devices. Senator Warnock also successfully secured the provisions of his bill in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 that passed out of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee with unanimous support in May.

Created by Congress in 1987, the Railway-Highway Crossings Program (also known as the “Section 130 grant program”) is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and provides funds to eliminate hazards at public railway-highway crossings. Section 130 funds are provided as a set-aside from each state’s Highway Safety Improvement Program funding and are apportioned by formula. States may spend Section 130 grant dollars for projects to eliminate hazards or install protective devices at any public crossing—including roadways, bike trails, and pedestrian paths. Projects pursued with Section130 funds are funded at a 90 percent federal share.

The RURAL Act would provide states with additional flexibility in the use of Section 130 funds— allowing these dollars to also be spent towards the replacement of functionally obsolete warning devices. Additionally, in order to encourage local communities to close hazardous grade crossings, the RURAL Act would also increase the incentive payment available to governments who close such crossings from $7,500 to $100,000.

“For the last four years, Georgia has been one of the top five states for highway-rail incidents. Much of rural Georgia has inadequate crossing equipment, which not only leads to inconvenient and costly delays for local businesses and commuters, but also endangers our communities and railroad workers. It doesn’t have to stay that way, especially with the RURAL Act as a practical solution,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “This smart legislation further incentivizes improvements in risk management and equipment measures onsite at highway-rail grade crossings across the state of Georgia, and I look forward to working with my partner Sen. Braun to get this legislation passed.”

The RURAL Act has also received strong support from Georgia and national transit leaders:

“The Georgia Department of Transportation supports the expanded use of Section 130 railway-highway crossing program funding. These proposed modifications would aid states with the greater flexibility to ensure these funds are used in the most strategic way possible,” said Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry.

“Norfolk Southern puts safety first in all of our work. The Rural Act, as introduced by Senator Warnock, provides smart policies that will modernize the warning technologies at railroad grade crossings and facilitate other changes to maintain a safe environment for motorists. We look forward to working with the Georgia Department of Transportation and other states across our network in implementing these needed changes when they become law,” said Assistant Vice President of Safety and Environmental of Norfolk Southern Jason Morris.

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