OLI awards grants for grade-crossing safety campaigns

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) yesterday announced $219,000 in grants awarded to Operation Lifesaver programs in 15 states to fund grade-crossing safety education projects.

Funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the grants will go to Operation Lifesaver organizations in California, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin.

The state programs will use the grants for public awareness campaigns and community events that deliver safety tips to target audiences, including motorists of all ages and professional drivers, OLI officials said in a press release.

The safety awareness projects will be presented in conjunction with OLI's U.S. Rail Safety Week, Sept. 24-30.

"It is our hope that the grant projects in these states, as part of our U.S. Rail Safety Week efforts, will raise awareness of the need for caution near highway-rail grade crossings and help prevent families and communities from enduring the tragic crossing collisions that are far too frequent throughout the country," said OLI President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Murphy.

The grants were awarded through a competitive process. Selection was based on how the organizations would leverage the federal funds with private partnerships, targeted messaging and the frequency of highway-rail collisions in the organizations' states.

"These grant projects provide important safety information that align with our ongoing commitment to highway safety," said FHWA Acting Deputy Administrator Butch Waidelich.