FEBRUARY, 18,2000
Fostoria mayor eyes RR funds
By Malinda Ruble
Staff Writer
Fostoria officials returned to the city Thursday afternoon feeling optimistic about the chances for the city to receive railroad grade separation funding.
Gov. Bob Taft and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Gordon Proctor, along with State Sen. Jeffry Armbruster from North Ridgeville, unveiled ODOT's rail crossing safety initiative. The $200 million, 10-year program which will provide grade separations to communities most affected by increased train traffic as the result of the recent acquisition of Conrail by Norfolk Southern Corp. and CSX.
"Well, we didn't get a nickel, but there is $200 million over 10 years from different funding sources, and he (Taft) kept mentioning Fostoria all of the time. If I was a mayor from another town I might have been anguished, but since I'm the mayor of Fostoria, I felt good,'' said Mayor John Davoli.
Each project eligible for funding will be ranked and selected for funding by a subcommittee of ODOT's Transportation Review Advisory Council. Criteria will include, but not limited to, train frequency, traffic volume, impacts on the community, lack of nearby alternative routes to avoid train blockages, safety and public service impacts and project cost.
Davoli said Fostoria meets the necessary requirements.
"It's not going to be on convenience, it's more on the public safety issue which is good news for Fostoria. And they wanted to see what cities have things, like traffic studies and complaints, in the works and we have things in their hands already,'' Davoli said. "And they'll be looking at traffic problems in general and they're going to try and tie programs together like with our loop road."
Following the announcement, Davoli met with Taft about the rail problem.
"I told him as mayor of Fostoria, my city needs help and to keep us in mind and he said he knows about the problems and he looks forward to working with us,'' Davoli said.
Taft told the group the program stems from his concern for citizens' safety.
"I am deeply concerned about the safety of our citizens who live, work and attend schools near these rail lines. This is more than an inconvenience for our citizens, it is a real threat to their health and well being," Taft said.
Through a survey, the state has identified 252 at-grade crossings that need further review.
"While Ohio has continually improved its safety record involving vehicle/train collisions, the problems caused by trains blocking crossings have been increasing. With the completion of these projects we will not only address existing safety concerns, but increase traffic mobility and promote economic development in affected communities,'' Taft said.
Davoli agreed that the blocked crossing issue must still be addressed.
"We still need House Bill 516 (which would prohibit some crossings from being blocked) for a temporary shot in the arm until we get an actual fix later on,'' Davoli said.
Communities interested in seeking funding can apply to TRAC beginning May 15.
The first projects will receive funding from TRAC in the spring of 2001.