1.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded $670,000 to the City of Gardner under the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Program (CFDA 20.327) on May 1, 2025, to conduct comprehensive planning and alternative analysis studies for eliminating the at-grade Moonlight Road highway-rail crossing (US DOT #006162X) along the BNSF Emporia Subdivision in Gardner, Kansas. This crossing, which experiences 64 trains per day on BNSF's Southern Transcon route, creates significant traffic delays and impedes north-south connectivity within the city. The project runs through April 30, 2028.

The City of Gardner will deliver a complete project planning package encompassing an existing conditions report, transportation and environmental technical analyses, conceptual engineering designs, capital cost estimates, and a preliminary purpose and need statement. Additional deliverables include a stakeholder coordination and public involvement plan, alternative design concepts analysis, a final performance report, and a project management plan (PMP). These products are designed to evaluate feasible solutions for grade separation, closure, or other safety and mobility improvements that would reduce travel delays, minimize conflicts during train crossing events, and enhance railway operations at the intermodal facility while benefiting both mobility users and railroad operators in Gardner.

Purpose

The project s objective is to eliminate the at-grade moonlight road (US DOT#006162X) highway-rail crossing along the bnsf emporia subdivision in gardner, kansas. The moonlight road highway-rail crossing is along bnsfs southern transcon route, carrying 64 trains per day, which causes frequent traffic delays and a lack of consistent north-south connectivity within the city. 2.

Activities

The recipient will conduct an alternative analysis study, which consists of the following (existing conditions report, transportation technical analysis, conceptual engineering, capital cost estimates, impact analysis), stakeholder outreach, and other project planning activities, and prepare a project planning package as detailed in the PMP. The package will be consistent with the project planning lifecycle stage objectives and include all information described in the PMP. 3. Deliverables expected outcomes: PMP, final performance report, preliminary purpose and need statement, stakeholder coordination plan (public involvement plan), existing conditions report, an analysis design concepts (includes alternative analysis, transportation analysis, environmental analysis, and the draft study), and a capital cost estimate.4. Intended beneficiary: the project is intended to benefit mobility users and railroad operators in the city of gardner. The study intends to find solutions to travel delays and conflicts during train crossing events, and improve railway operations with a reduction in train delays and improve efficiencies at the intermodal facility.