Financial Assistance To Eliminate Highway-Railroad Grade Crossing Hazards on Designated High-Speed Rail Corridors

Résumé

Section 1103(c) of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (Pub. L. 105-178, 112 Stat. 107) modifies the program established in 23 U.S.C. 104(d)(2) to eliminate highway-railroad grade crossing hazards in designated high-speed rail corridors. The program funding out of the Highway Trust Fund would be increased from $5 million a year to $5.25 million a year for FYs 1998-2003; eligible corridors are increased from 5 to 11 with the addition of the Gulf Coast, Keystone and Empire State Corridors and the addition of up to 3 corridors to be selected by the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary); not less than $250,000 of available funding is for the Minneapolis/St. Paul-Chicago segment of the Midwest Corridor; and a general fund authorization of $15 million per year for FYs 1999-2003 is provided for the same purpose, namely elimination of highway-railroad grade crossing hazards in designated high-speed rail corridors. (Funding of the general fund authorization is subject to the appropriations process; no such appropriations have been made for FY 1999.) In this notice, the FRA is soliciting applications from States for designation of up to three new corridors, and appl