Ohio Rail Development Commission
Monday, March 19, 2001
COLUMBUS - Everything you wanted to know about Ohio’s 6,300 public railroad grade crossings is now available on the Ohio Rail Development Commission’s (ORDC) website: http:\\ www.dot.state.oh.us\ohiorail
The ORDC is the state agency that distributes $15 million a year in federal safety funds to improve Ohio’s grade crossings.
The ORDC was requested by the Ohio Department of Transportation to take the lead on railroad crossing-related safety issues. The Federal Highway Safety Administration requested that all states survey railroad grade crossings for locations where there is a highway intersection within 200 feet of the grade crossing that could create a situation where cars sit on the tracks while waiting for a traffic signal on a parallel highway to change.
ORDC’s website provides information on the physical characteristics of crossings, photos, information about the grade of the crossing and its global positioning coordinates, which provide a precise location.
"This data will assure that the State of Ohio’s safety funds are allocated to the most hazardous crossings," said James E. Seney, Executive Director of the ORDC. " In addition, the collection of GPS coordinates will allow for the accurate mapping of Ohio rail lines in conjunction with the highway system."
Seney said he believes the information will be useful to the public. "If anyone has any further questions, I would urge them to call or write the Rail Commission," he said.
The Ohio Rail Development Commission is located at 50 West Broad Street, Suite 1510, Columbus, Ohio, 43215. The phone number is (614) 644-0306.
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