WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.) today announced $1,534,280 in federal funding to make safety improvements to the Warner Street Highway-Rail crossing in Baltimore City. Funds will be used to both improve the flow of commuter and freight rail traffic through a busy area of Baltimore City and to conduct a study and support planning for both short and long-term alternatives to the grade-crossing.

The federal grant comes from the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, a new Federal Railroad Administration initiative that the lawmakers worked tocreate under Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects.

“Our freight and passenger railroads are critical to keeping Baltimore moving – for residents, visitors, and businesses alike. But we need to invest in infrastructure that keeps our economy moving while safeguarding pedestrians moving about the City – that’s what this federal grant is all about,” said the lawmakers. “This is another example of how we’re working to invest in projects to improve convenience, mobility and safety in our neighborhoods and cities through the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”

The Maryland Department of Transportation and Baltimore City are providing a 20 percent funding match to support the project.