The Illinois Commerce Commission plans to fund local projects to improve highway safety

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) has the statutory responsibility to improve safety at public highway-rail crossings in the State of Illinois. As of Feb. 1, 2024, there were 7,542 public highway-rail grade crossings in Illinois, of which 746 are on state roads, and 6,796 are on local roads. There are 2,668 public highway-rail grade-separated crossings (bridges) in the state. Nationally, Illinois is second only to Texas in the total number of highway-rail crossings.

Railroad Crossing Safety, The Three E’s

Illinois is one of the key transportation hubs in the nation. With approximately 7,400 miles of railroad track, its rail system is the country’s second largest, including the nations largest rail freight hub in Chicago. Illinois has the nations’ third larges highway system, with 147,098 miles of highways, streets and roads and 26,864 bridges as of December 2022. The railroad network of Illinois is operated by 97 railroads or industries providing rail service to ports and industrial facilities.

Both the rail and highway systems are among the most heavily used in the nation in terms of volume of traffic, with much of the traffic concentrated in the Chicago metropolitan region. There, the urban mass transit system provided over 285.9 million passenger trips in 2022 (pre-pandemic 2019 was 549.7 million passenger trips) over an extensive network of bus and rail routes.

2023 In Review, Collisions and Casualties

In 2023, preliminary statistics indicated there were 90 collisions at public highway-rail crossings in Illinois, compared to 123 in 2022, a 26.80 percent decrease. National preliminary figures for 2023 indicate 1,844 collisions occurred at public highway-rail crossings compared to 1,888 in 2022, a decrease of 2.3 percent.

The general public commonly thinks of grade crossing collisions as involving trains colliding with cars, and in most incidents that is the case; and most incidents that is the case; however, each year a substantial number of collisions involve motor vehicles driving in to the sides of trains. In 2023, 15.6 percent of all collisions involved cars driving into the sides of trains, a percentage which has remained constant over the years. The 15 vehicle-into-train collisions in 2023 resulted in five injuries and one fatality.

Total fatalities resulting from collisions at highway-rail crossings in Illinois decreased from 28 in 2022 to 18 in 2023; a decrease of 35.7 percent.

Railroad Crossing Safety Funding

The Grade Crossing Protection Fund (GCPF), appropriated to the Illinois Department of Transportation but administered by the ICC, was created by state law to assist local jurisdictions (countries, townships and municipalities) in paying for safety improvement at highway-rail crossings on local roads and streets only. Assistance from the GCPF cannot be used for safety improvements at highway-rail crossings located on the sate road or highway system. Those improvements are paid for by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Beginning with FY 2023, each month $3.5 million in state motor fuel tax receipts is transferred from the Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) fund to the Grade Crossing Protection Fund. This amount provides the GCPF with $42 millions annually to be used for safety improvements at highway-rail crossings on local roads and streets. The GCPF is typically used to help pay for the following types of projects;

Warning Device Upgrades: Installation of automatic flashing light signals and gates at public grade crossings currently not equipped with automatic warning devices; installation of automatic flashing light signals and gates at public grade crossings currently equipped only with automatic flashing light signals; signal circuitry improvements at public grade crossings currently equipped only with automatic warning devices;

Grade Separations: New and Reconstructed: Construction, reconstruction, or repair of bridges carrying a local road or street over railroad tracks (overpass); construction, reconstruction, or repair of bridges carrying railroad tracks over a local road or street (subway);

Grade Separations: Vertical Clearance Improvements: Lowering the existing highway pavement surface under a railroad bridge to improve vertical clearance for motor vehicles;

Pedestrian Grade Separations: Construction of bridge to carry pedestrian/bicycle traffic over or under railroad tracks;

Interconnections: Upgrading the circuitry, warning devices and traffic signals at grade crossings where signals are connected to the adjacent traffic signals so that the two systems operating a synchronized manner;

Highway Approaches: Improvements to the portion of the public roadway directly adjacent to the crossing surface;

Connection Roads: Construction of a roadway between a closed crossing and an adjacent open, improved crossing;

Remote Monitoring Devices: Sensor devices in the circuitry of grade crossing warning devices which immediately alert the railroad to any failures in warning device operations;

Crossing Closures: Provide an incentive payment to local agencies for the voluntarily closure of public highway-rail grade crossings; and

Crossing Surface Renewals: Up to $2 million in assistance annually can be allocated for crossing surface improvements;

Vehicle Detection System Maintenance – four-quadrant gate installations;

Trespass Mitigation (new in 2021)

The cost of railroad crossing safety improvements varies substantially depending on the nature of the work undertaken. A standard installation of gates with automatic flashing light signals on a two-lane road typically cost approximately $300,00. Additional costs of road improvements could typically range from $2,000 to $100,000, depending on the road type and location. Grade separation structures are very costly.

The GCPF has made contributions to pavement lowering (vertical clearance improvements) projects costing between $35,000 - $4 million, and to new underpass structures costing more than $50 million. Bridges over railroads can cost from $600,000 for a rural structure to over $40 million for a multi-lane multi-road urban structure. Typically, the ICC authorizes contributions for GCPF that pay up to 60 percent of the cost for grade separation projects and 85 percent to 95 percent for grade crossing improvements.

GCPF Over Time

Since the establishment of the GCPF in 1955, virtually every public highway-rail crossing in Illinois has received support from the Fund. Over two thousand passive signed crossings have received Yield signs and enhanced retro-reflective striping; over 3,000 crossings with train activated flashing lights signals have received remote monitoring ability along with LED lights to replace incandescent lights; over 2,000 crossings have been upgraded from passive warning signs to train activated warning devices.

FY 2024 Projects

It is currently estimated that the ICC will issue Orders authorizing nearly $88.2 million in GCPF assistance for safety improvement projects at over 183 crossings in 48 counties throughout the state by June 30, 2024.

Crossing Safety Improvement Projects

This report presents the railroad crossing safety capital improvements that ICC staff proposes to implement during FY 2025 and looks ahead to the projects contemplated for FY 2026 - FY 2029. In all cases it is assumed that any required local funding match will be available. In some cases, local funding may not be available during the same fiscal year in which a crossing improvement has been programmed. In those circumstances, the Rail Safety Section staff will recommend to the ICC that assistance from the GCPF fro the project be reallocated to another fiscal year to accommodate the local agency.

The ICC receives numerous requests from local communities and railroads for assistance from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund for safety improvements at public highway-rail crossings. During development of each multi-year crossing safety improvement program plan, the large number of potential projects requires the ICC to prioritize projects based upon several criteria, including the relative safety of the existing crossing and the volume and types of existing train and highway traffic. After each potential project is prioritized based on engineering requirements, geographic location is also considered so safety improvements throughout the state can be addressed as equitably as possible. Projects not selected for the Plan are considered again as part of future 5-Year Plans.

The project list for Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) includes capital improvement projects that local governments or railroads have previously submitted to the ICC for evaluation and approval, as well as projects based on established priorities. The project list for FY 2026-2029 (out-year list) includes projects based on a continued effort to meet those established priorities;

High Collision History: Each year the ICC places a high priority on upgrading public highway-rail grade crossings which have a pronounced history of train/vehicle collisions, or which have a high predictive value for future collisions;

Rail Corridors: The ICC has identified as a priority the need to improve public highway-rail grade crossings in rail corridors where conventional speed passenger trains operate and along corridors to provide consistent safety improvements and maximize efficiency;

Highway Grade Separations (Bridges): The ICC is continually seeking locations where grade crossing blockages cause substantial motorist or emergency vehicle delay, or where heavy vehicular traffic represents a heightened threat of train/vehicle collisions. This plan includes funding assistance of numerous highway/rail bridge projects on local roads and streets throughout the state.

Pedestrian Grade Separations (Bridges): The ICC also has authority to utilize the GCPF to assist local communities with the cost of construction pedestrian grade separations in areas where it is necessary to improve safety. This plan includes funding assistance for several pedway/rail bridge projects throughout the state;

Interconnected Crossings: The ICC and IDOT are continuing a program to identify and improve highway-rail grade crossings that require the interconnection of crossing warning signals with traffic control signals at adjacent highway intersections.

Please see the ICC’s Grade Crossing Search webpage for an interactive map of projects included in the FY 2025 – FY 2029, as well as past programs, and crossing inventory information: https://www.icc.illinois.gov/rail-safety/grade-crossing-map

FY 2025 Plan

In FY 2025 it is anticipated the ICC will consider projects requiring commitments from the FCPF totaling nearly $160.6 million, including over $69.4 million for bridge projects.

In FY 2025,the ICC will set aside $10 million for the GCPF in contingency funds to address emergency projects which may require rapid resolution: experimental crossing safety projects; low-cost safety improvements at multiple crossings; and incentive payments to local agencies for the voluntary closure of public highway-rail grad crossings. It is anticipated that in the next four years the contingency funds will be used to help pay for low-cost improvements such as the replacement of incandescent flashing light signals with light emitting diode (LED) flashing light signals.

FY 2026-2029 Plan

For projects in FY 2026-2029, it is anticipated the ICC will consider projects requiring commitments from the FCPF totaling nearly $244.4 million, affecting over 240 crossings in 48 countries. In addition, $40 million from the GCPF will be set aside in contingency funds during FY 2026-2029

Upcoming projects in the surrounding areas, for Fiscal year 2025, with their Total Estimated cost are; E. Mill Street, Staunton, Gates – Install, Modify Flashing Lights $370,000; W. Henry Street, Staunton, Gates – Install, Approach – Reconstruct $540,000; 4th Street, Staunton, Gates – Install, Approach – Reconstruct $520,000;

Rezy Road, Livingston, Gates – Install, Modify Flashing Lights $440,000; E. Spangel Road, Gates – Install, Modify Flashing Lights $370,000; N. Lindenbroker Road, Livingston, Gates – Install, Approach – Reconstruct; Lamb Road, Livingston, Gates – Install, Approach – Reconstruct;

Quercus Grove Road, Worden, Gates – Install, Modify Flashing Lights;

And Niemanville Road, Mount Olive, Gates – Install, Modify Flashing Lights.

Upcoming projects in the surrounding areas, for Fiscal year(s) 2026 - 2029, with their Total Estimated cost are:

Walshville Road, Mount Olive, Gates – Install, Approach – Reconstruct; Sunrise View Lane, Staunton, Gates – Install, Approach – Reconstruct; N. 7 Mile Lane, Staunton, Gates – Install, Approach – Reconstruct.