During the Oct. 15 regular meeting, Buckeye City Council unanimously approved the submission of four grants which aim to improve railroad and canal crossings in the downtown community.
RAILROAD RELOCATIONS
The first two grants, applied for through the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, aim to separate vehicular traffic from train traffic, said Grant Program Manager Rob Roach.
Grant No. 2, Railroad Crossing Elimination Program: $750,000 to plan and design the relocation of Baseline Road around the railroad crossing to eliminate the crossing. This is prior to the construction phase and, according to the agenda packet, aims to improve safety and increase traffic mobility. The Federal grant would provide $600,000 with a $150,000 match from the city.
The city has applied unsuccessfully for these grants before, said Roach. Only approximately 10% of applicants are awarded funding. Historically, the awardees are larger cities with more compact neighborhoods and transportation systems. However, Roach said his team has attended sessions to see how the city’s application can be more in line with the grant’s purpose and he feels more hopeful this go around.
“We are crafting the application to show how it benefits the neighborhood,” he said. “Especially the downtown.”
CANAL CROSSINGS
The next two grants approved for submission by City Council would create crossings over the irrigation canal at key points on Rooks and Watson Roads with the goal of improving safety and connecting communities with key Buckeye employers.
“ The bridge over the irrigation canal will connect the downtown area to employment (KORE Power) and other daily essentials by means of motor vehicles, walking, bicycling, and rolling,” reads the agenda packet. “The completion of the accessibility and connection of Rooks Road over the irrigation canal will also improve air pollution, reduce environmental harm, and improve community accessibility, economic development, and safety.”
Council's Oct. 15 approval was for the submission of the application only. Should the city be accepted as an awardee, more meetings and approvals would be required to allocate the matching funds for the projects.
