[20200624]IN11434_铁路是否应该帮助支付改善平交道口的费用？.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Should Railroads Help Pay for Grade Crossing Improvements? June 24, 2020 Background An uptick in fatal accidents at grade crossings following a prolonged decline, along with recent court decisions barring states from enforcing limits on trains that block crossings, have drawn congressional attention to grade crossing safety. A key point of debate has been what responsibility, if any, a private railroad company should have to provide for the safety and convenience of motorists and pedestrians at grade crossings beyond compliance with federally mandated operating practices. This question has come to the fore as Congress considers legislation reauthorizing federal surface transportation programs. Congress provides federal funds to improve grade-crossing safety in the Railway-Highway Crossings program (23 U.S.C. 130), more commonly known as the Section 130 program. Section 130, a component of the federal-aid highway program, distributes funding from the Highway Trust Fund to states according to a formula that slightly favors states with a greater share of the nations road-rail crossings. These funds can be us