Grade separations considered in North Carolina, Washington

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will hold meetings on June 9 and 10 in Wilmington to gather information about how and when members of the public use grade crossings throughout the city.
 
NCDOT representatives will answer questions and obtain comments about the type and frequency of crossing usage. The department plans to study ways to separate vehicle and rail traffic at crossings in Wilmington.
 
The meetings and study are part of NCDOT's objective to ensure the safety of rail passengers, train crews, motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and residents of surrounding communities, department officials said in a press release.

Meanwhile, the city of Kent, Wash., is considering a plan to form local improvement districts (LIDs) to help fund two grade separations.

LIDs are additional property taxes that would be charged to property owners who would benefit from the projects along South 212th and 228th streets.

The city estimates the cost of grade separating Union Pacific Railroad crossings on the roads at about $27 million for South 212th Street and $25 million for South 228th Street. The city has numerous state and federal grants to help fund the projects, but needs to raise more than $24 million to complete the work. Additional state grants would help reduce LID costs.