Nov. 4, 2010
Docket number: TR-101764

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

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved more than $9,000 from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) for Central Washington Railroad to upgrade warning devices at a railroad-highway crossing located at West Mead Ave. in Yakima.

The upgrades include replacing eight-inch incandescent lights with twelve-inch LED-type lights and substituting the system batteries and mechanical bell with an electronic type. The upgrades will improve the visibility and reliability of these active warning signals for pedestrians and motorists approaching the crossing.

The upgrades must be completed by June 15, 2011. State funding from the GCPF will not exceed $9,941.83 and must be used for the cost of materials. Central Washington Railroad will be responsible for all labor and installation costs.

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.