City of Tulare Receives $3.3 Million Grant for Highway Safety Project

Through the 2006 voter-approved Proposition 1B Highway-Railroad Crossing Safety (HRCSA) Grant Program, Townsend Public Affairs was successful with the City of Tulare to secure $3.3 million in funding for the Santa Fe Trail at the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) project.

This instrumental project will provide a grade-separated west-east trail extension in the City Center, eliminating traffic delay and providing safe crossing of the UPRR tracks for those using alternative transportation modes such as bicyclists and pedestrians.

In addition to addressing safety and design concerns with the current grade railroad crossing, the project will allow and encourage the economic development within the area. With the distribution of residents and planned growth, it will be important to maintain access to goods and services as well as medical and governmental services which are primarily located east of the tracks. The new and strategically located grade-separated crossing will accomplish this important civic need, address environmental justice, in addition to saving lives in the process.