Operation Lifesaver awards $205,000 for rail-safety education projects

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday announced $205,000 grants will be awarded to 13 state Operation Lifesaver programs for grade crossing and anti-trespassing public education projects.

Most of the projects will incorporate public service announcements from the safety group's "See Tracks, Think Train!" public awareness campaign.

The grants will be awarded to Operation Lifesaver organizations in Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah;  individual grant awards will range from $1,875 to $20,000.

"The grants will fund a wide variety of projects to expand the reach of our ongoing safety campaign and further Operation Lifesaver’s mission of eliminating collisions, injuries and deaths at crossings and along rail property,” said OLI President and Chief Executive Officer Joyce Rose.

The FRA provides the funding for the grants, which were awarded through a competitive process. Grantees were chosen by a panel of railroad safety experts.