Following article is from the Somerset County Freeholders.
Web site:
http://service.govdelivery.com/docs/NJSOMER/NJSOMER_136/
NJSOMER_136_20100803_095600_en.doc
August 3, 2010
NJTPA Freight Rail Grade Crossing Study
Wins National Award
NEWARK – A North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) study of issues at freight rail crossings throughout northern and central New Jersey has been recognized for transportation planning excellence by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The study received the 2010 Transportation Planning Excellence Award from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. Somerset County Freeholder Peter S. Palmer, chairman and founder of the NJTPA’s Freight Initiatives Committee, accepted the award at the Transportation Research Board’s July meeting in Minneapolis.
The NJTPA, with the help of consultants and a technical advisory committee, completed the two-phase study last year. The effort came in response to projections of significant increases in regional freight rail traffic and anticipated impacts in communities where freight rail grade crossings are located. The study resulted in a prioritized list of rail crossings experiencing the highest impacts, along with a range of strategies and solutions for addressing these impacts.
“Freight rail traffic is a major issue in New Jersey,” Freeholder Palmer said. “The study results will help us strike a balance between essential economic activity and impact on communities. Our approach was successful thanks to extensive stakeholder participation and community input, and the study provides a ‘toolbox’ that others can use to look at freight rail crossings around the country.”
More than 90 award nominations were submitted for this year’s program, which is co-sponsored by the American Planning Association. After accepting the NJTPA’s top honor in the freight planning category, Freeholder Palmer participated in a forum highlighting award winners in all categories.
See the full study on the NJTPA website at
www.njtpa.org/Plan/Element/Freight/documents/
NJTPAFreightRailCrossingandSafetyAssessmentStudy.aspx