September 20, 2022 – Drop in anytime between 3 PM to 7 PM
The cities of Birmingham and Trussville are working with Norfolk Southern to submit a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) planning grant application to plan new railroad grade separations in the vicinity of Brussels Avenue near Harris Homes in East Birmingham and at Mary Taylor Road in Trussville. These new grade separations are proposed to be constructed in conjunction with the closure of at-grade crossings at Antwerp Ave/64th Place and 56th, 57th and 59th streets in Birmingham and at Parrish Lane and Peggy Lee Lane in Trussville. The plan would also include a bike/ped grade separated crossing in the vicinity of 59th St. These improvements, if implemented, will improve the safety and mobility of people and goods.
The recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorizes the RCE Program to enhance rail safety, improve the health and safety of communities, eliminate highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossings that are frequently blocked by trains, and reduce the impacts that freight movement and railroad operations may have on underserved communities.
The grade separation project if constructed would improve the operation of the Norfolk Southern Norris Yard and reduce the number of instances where roadway grade crossings are blocked by stopped trains at Brussels Avenue, which is the only access road in and out of the community. The proposed Brussels Avenue grade separation would especially benefit the Harris Homes neighborhood which experiences regular blocked crossings at Brussels Avenue. Reduction of train-horn noise will be a related benefit for communities along the railroad including Woodlawn, Crestwood, and Harris Homes.
Woodlawn United is working with the Cities of Birmingham and Trussville to receive public comment about the proposed FRA planning grant and to solicit YOUR INPUT about potential plans to build grade separations and close nearby grade crossings. A Community Input Meeting will be held at the Woodlawn United offices on September 20, 2022 from 3 PM to 7 PM. Comments may also be provided at the Woodlawn United website. For questions or additional information contact Jim Ritchey, Whitman Requardt and Associates at jritchey@wrallp.com.