Operation Lifesaver Awards Southland Railways Safety Grants

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — It happens too frequently along Los Angeles and Orange County railways: a traffic alert that there has been a death on the tracks. On Thursday, Operation Lifesaver, Inc., in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), announced $200,000 in grants for programs across 11 states, including California, to help combat fatal railway incidents.

The grants will fund rail grade crossing safety public education projects designed to make railroad crossings safer by capturing the attention of drivers and pedestrians, according to a spokesperson from Operation Lifesaver, Inc.

In California, the education projects will be conducted in conjunction with the nonprofit safety group’s observance of Rail Safety Week, September 20-26.

The grants funded by FHWA will be awarded to Operation Lifesaver organizations at high incident counties in Arizona, California, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington according to a news release from the organization.

California will use the funding to launch public awareness campaigns and host community events that deliver critical rail safety tips to target audiences, including motorists of all ages and professional drivers.

Operation Lifesaver Inc. Executive Director Rachel Maleh spoke on the partnership, which made the $200,000 grant distribution possible.

“OLI is grateful for our ongoing safety partnership with FHWA, which facilitates these grant-funded railroad crossing safety efforts by state Operation Lifesaver programs,” Maleh said. “We are excited to see the results of the projects as we work to stop track tragedies."

The approved grants were awarded through a competitive process, with selection based on criteria such as the defined safety need, the number of highway-rail collisions in the state, and how the proposal leverages federal funds with private partnerships.

In California, Operation Lifesaver will launch a campaign during September (California Rail Safety Month) and including Rail Safety Week in 13 high-incident counties, with digital radio and video PSAs distributed over Connected TV (CTV) and OTT video.

Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack spoke on the grants.

“The US Department of Transportation is committed to putting safety first, including the safety of those traveling across railroad crossings,” Pollack said in a released statement. “The FHWA is pleased to provide the funding that will help prevent crashes at rail-grade crossings nationwide.”

The targeted areas and audiences include business districts, sports arenas, colleges, homeless populations, freight rail, commuter rail and passenger rail corridors, such as those in Los Angeles and Orange County.