The market street railroad crossing elimination planning development (the project) is to study the existing railroad at-grade crossing elimination on market street in crawfordsville, indiana

The City of Crawfordsville received a $1.6 million Project Grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) program (CFDA 20.327), awarded on May 1, 2025, with a completion date of March 31, 2027. This grant funds planning and development activities to eliminate an at-grade railroad crossing on Market Street in Crawfordsville, Indiana, which currently presents safety hazards for pedestrians and vehicles. The existing single-track crossing is equipped with standard safety infrastructure including flashing light structures, gate arms, and warning signs; however, the current configuration is inadequate for pedestrian accommodation and poses operational risks.

The funded activities will support the completion of necessary planning, environmental review, and design work to prepare the City for subsequent construction funding. Upon elimination of the at-grade crossing, the project is expected to deliver multiple benefits including enhanced safety for vehicles, pedestrians, and trains; improved mobility of people and goods; reduced transportation emissions; improved emergency service response capabilities; infrastructure redundancy; and economic and community benefits through reconnected neighborhoods. These planning and development services represent the initial phase of a comprehensive grade crossing elimination effort, positioning Crawfordsville to pursue future funding for final design and construction activities.

The existing single-track railroad crossing has cantilevered flashing light structures, gate arms (2 quad), mast mounted flashing lights, and bells, in addition to standard RR pavement markings and advance warning signs. However, the existing crossing is inadequate for pedestrians and presents a safety issue. The project objective is to complete the necessary planning and development life cycles prerequisites that will empower the city to apply for future funding opportunities final design and construction life cycles to eliminate the at-grade crossing. Once the at-grade crossing is eliminated benefits for the completed project include the improved safety for vehicles, pedestrians, and trains improve mobility of people and goods reduce emissions improve emergency service response, provide infrastructure redundancy, economic benefits, and reconnected community.