March 2, 2011
Docket number: TR-110228

OLYMPIA, Wash. – State regulators today approved funding to improve safety at a railroad crossing in Yakima County.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved $20,000 from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) for the city of Moxee to upgrade warning signals at the crossing located at Beaudry Road. In addition, a “No Right Turn” sign will be installed on nearby State Route 24 (SR-24).

The city of Moxee plans to use the funds to install flashing LED lights and gates at the rail crossing. The city also proposes to improve safety at the crossing by tying in the new railroad warning signals with the nearby traffic signal on SR-24 to ensure that no traffic will back-up on tracks when a train is approaching the crossing. The total estimated cost of the project is $66,730. State GCPF funding is limited to $20,000.

Moxee is located almost eight miles southeast of Yakima in Yakima County. Beaudry Road is a two-lane road with an average of 3,900 vehicles crossing the railroad tracks each day. The project must be completed by June 30.

The Legislature created the GCPF in 1969 to provide money for safety measures designed to decrease the potential for accidents and fatalities at public and private crossings and along railroad tracks in the state. The UTC administers the fund.

The UTC is the state agency responsible for railroad safety, including approving new grade crossings and closing or altering existing rail crossings. The agency investigates train accidents, inspects public-railroad crossings, approves rail-safety improvement projects and manages Operation Lifesaver, a rail-safety education program in Washington and nationwide.