Photo by Michael Whitney.
MONROE — The city announced last week it has received a $320,000 federal grant to study five of its railroad crossings for safety and congestion improvement.
The city is contributing 20%, or $80,000, to the study.
The study is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2026.
“This grant allows us to take an in-depth look at possibly eliminating at-grade crossings, reducing train-vehicles crashes, improving mobility, and enhancing safety at key roadways in Monroe,” Mayor Geoffrey Thomas said in the city announcement. “We are grateful for the support from U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell, and Patty Murray, and U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene for this incredibly important study as it is one of the City Council’s legislative priorities.”
Cantwell said in the release that “at-grade rail crossings bisect communities, separate whole neighborhoods from emergency services, and delay people and goods from getting where they need to go. With freight rail traffic expected to grow 44 percent by 2050, these investments will help local governments across the State of Washington unblock these crossings.”
— Report derived from city press release
