BNSF Railway has established its Public Infrastructure and Investments team to collaborate with local communities and public agencies in advancing safety infrastructure projects across its network. The team aims to assist eligible applicants in applying for federal grants that have recently been announced to improve grade crossing safety throughout the country.
French F. Thompson, BNSF’s general director of public infrastructure and investments, emphasised the company’s commitment to connecting and serving communities across its network for over 170 years. BNSF believes in working together on infrastructure projects that enhance safety, economic development, and the overall well-being of communities and networks.
BNSF’s Public Infrastructure and Investments teams have a strong history of collaborating with public partners to secure substantial funding for essential infrastructure projects across the 28-state BNSF network.
An example of their successful partnership is the collaboration between the city of Flagstaff and BNSF in securing funding through the USDOT Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways Projects (INFRA) programme in 2022. This funding, part of the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) programme, will support the Flagstaff Downtown Mile Safety and Connectivity Improvements Project. The project aims to deliver a range of multimodal transportation safety enhancements, improvements to freight and passenger rail infrastructure, pedestrian safety measures, community connectivity enhancements, and mitigations for construction impacts.
Christine Cameron, senior project manager of capital improvements for the city of Flagstaff, highlighted the importance of the project’s safety measures, such as pedestrian gates, signaling, signage, and multimodal pedestrian underpasses. These improvements will contribute to reducing incidents and raising awareness within the community about the significance of railroad safety. Cameron acknowledged BNSF’s essential role in securing funding for this mutually beneficial project that connects different neighborhoods in the city.
BNSF’s Public Infrastructure and Investments team provides assistance to partners in identifying available funding opportunities and navigating the grant application process for projects that interface with the BNSF network. They offer support in project identification, grant writing, and solicitation of letters of support to underscore the project’s importance.
For more information visit www.bnsf.com
