Crossing upgrades on horizon in Ohio; quiet zone on tap in New York

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) yesterday approved seven grade crossing improvement projects in Defiance, Huron, Paulding, Richland and Wood counties.

CSX Transportation will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at a Cross Creek Road crossing in Tontogony. Work must be completed no later than June 11, 2015, and funding will be shared by PUCO, the Ohio Rail Development Commission and CSX.

Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Co. will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at the Woodlawn Road crossing in Norwalk and Riggs Avenue crossing in Plymouth. Work must be done no later than March 11, 2015, and funding will be covered by federal dollars.

Michigan Southern Railroad will upgrade circuitry at the Fifth Street and Davidson Street crossings in Defiance, and the U.S. Route 127 crossing in Cecil. The railroad also will upgrade circuitry and flashing lights at the Main Street/State Route 49 crossing in Antwerp. Work must be accomplished no later than June 11, 2015, and funding will be shared by PUCO and the railroad.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday marked the completion of a quiet zone in Hamburg, N.Y. The zone established at the Rogers and Cloverbank Road crossing will go into effect on June 24.

Schumer helped secure $475,000 in federal funding for the project, which involved pavement improvements and the installation of traffic separator systems along the highway approaches. The New York State Department of Transportation also performed certain crossing upgrades to meet the Federal Railroad Administration's quiet zone requirements.

The quiet zone is "a huge quality of life improvement" for local residents and motorists, said Schumer in a press release.

"This … is an example of a smart use of federal money, because it is a win-win for the community – not only does it make Hamburg a more peaceful, quieter place to live, it increases safety for pedestrians and motorists near the tracks," he said.