Operation Lifesaver awards grants for transit-rail safety campaigns

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) yesterday announced it awarded $162,500 in grants for public awareness and safety education projects involving 11 U.S. transit organizations.

The agencies and OLI will use the funds to jointly produce educational materials featuring the OLI safety campaign slogan, "See Tracks? Think Train!"

The grants range between $7,500 and $20,000 and require each agency to provide a 25 percent match. The educational campaigns must use OLI-approved materials and logos, and be coordinated through a state Operation Lifesaver program, OLI officials said in a press release.

The funds were awarded to Sacramento Regional Transit District; the city of Atlanta for its streetcar initiative; Rio Metro Regional Transit District; Illinois Operation Lifesaver/Metra; Dallas Area Rapid Transit; New Jersey Transit; Bi-State Development Agency in St. Louis; Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T); Ohio Operation Lifesaver/Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority; Utah Transit Authority; and Valley Metro in Phoenix.

A team of U.S. Department of Transportation and American Public Safety Transportation safety and education professionals evaluated the applications based on criteria such as key safety messages and target audiences, evaluation methods and timelines.

"These grants assist local agencies with their educational safety campaigns and are important for reaching drivers, pedestrians and transit riders in their own communities," said OLI President and Chief Executive Officer Joyce Rose. "We want to thank the American Public Transportation Association for helping us promote the availability of the funds, and we especially want to thank the Federal Transit Administration for providing the funding."

Materials will be developed this fall, and the safety campaigns will launch by spring 2015, OLI officials said.