Federal Aid Crossing Safety Program The Crossing Safety Program participates in the cost of safety improvements at highway-railroad grade crossings. These funds are used to install new crossing signal devices, to upgrade existing signals, to improve crossing surfaces, and to provide low-cost improvements, such as increased sight distance, widened crossings, increased signal lens size, or crossing closures. However, the available funding allows only a limited number of safety improvements each year.  Either a railroad or a roadway jurisdiction may apply for crossing safety funding using the project request form. Ninety percent of approved projects are funded, with the remaining ten percent paid by the highway authority, the railroad, or most commonly, a portion paid by each. Applications are due by July 1 to be considered for the next annual funding cycle. Priorities for this funding are determined through a cost benefit analysis. This analysis takes into consideration the extent of vehicle and train traffic at the crossing, the speed of trains, certain characteristics of the crossing, the effectiveness of the proposed improvement, the estimated cost of the improvement and other factors.  Generally, those crossings with a high probability for a serious crash with a proposed improvement anticipated to be effective and cost efficient will receive the highest priority. Safety improvements, funded under this program, are approved annually by the Iowa Transportation Commission. 2006 Federal-Aid Rail/Highway Safety Projects 2007 Federal-Aid Rail/Highway Safety Projects 2008 Federal-Aid Rail/Highway Safety Projects 2009 Federal-Aid Rail/Highway Safety Projects Projects will be advanced if funding becomes available.  PPM 500.09 is the directive for implementing these funds.   For additional information contact Jim Gibson, 515-239-1549, Email james.gibson@dot.iowa.gov The Funding Guide provides information on this and a variety of other funding programs available for transportation projects.