demonstration project—railroad-highway crossings

demonstration project—railroad-highway crossings Sec. 163. (a) The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to carry out demonstration projects in Lincoln, Nebraska, Wheeling, West Virginia, and Elko. Nevada, for the relocation of railroad lines from the central area of the cities in conformance with the methodology developed under proposals submitted to the Secretary by the respective cities. The cities shall (1) have a local agency with legal authority to relocate railroad facilities, levy taxes for such purpose, and a record of prior accomplishment; and (2) have a current relocation plan for such lines which has a favorable benefit-cost ratio involving and having the unanimous approval of three or more class 1 railroads in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the two class 1 railroads in Wheeling, West Virginia, and Elko, Nevada, and multicivic, local, and State agencies, and which provides for the elimination of a substantial number of the existing railway-road conflict points within the city. (b) The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out a demonstration project for the elimination or protection of certain public ground-level rail-highway crossings in, or in the vicinity of, Springfield, Illinois. (c) The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to carry out demonstration projects in Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Mexico, for the relocation of rail-road lines from the central area of the cities in conformance with the methodology developed under proposals submitted to the Secretary by the Brownsville Navigation District, providing for the construction of an international bridge and for the elimination of a substantial number of existing railway-road conflict points within the cities. (d) The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to carry out a demonstration project in East Saint Louis, Illinois, for the relocation of rail lines between Thirteenth and Forty-third Streets, in accordance with methodology approved by the Secretary. The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out a demonstration project for the relocation of rail lines in the vicinity of Carbondale, Illinois. (e) The Secretary of Transportation shall enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to carry out a demonstration project in New Albany, Indiana, for the elimination of the existing rail loop and relocation of rail lines to a location between Vincennes Street and East 87 Stat. 281Eighth Street, in accordance with methodology approved by the Secretary. (f) The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out demonstration projects for the construction of an overpass at the rail-highway grade crossing on Cottage Grove Avenue between One Hundred Forty-second Street and One Hundred Thirty-eighth Street in the village of Dolton, Illinois, and the construction of an overpass at the rail-highway grade crossing at Vermont Street and the Rock Island Railroad tracks in the city of Blue Island, Illinois. (g) The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out a demonstration project for the elimination of the ground level railroad highway crossing on United States Route 69 in Greenville, Texas. (h) The Secretary of Transportation shall carry out a demonstration project in Anoka, Minnesota, for the construction of an underpass at. the Seventh Avenue and County Road 7 railroad-highway grade crossing. (i) The Federal share payable on account of such projects shall be that provided in section 120 of this title. (j) The Secretary shall make annual reports and a final report to the President and the Congress with respect to his activities pursuant to this section. (k) There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section (other than subsection (1)) not to exceed $15,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974, $25,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, and $50,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1976, except that two-thirds of all funds authorized and expended under authority of this section in any fiscal year shall be appropriated out of the Highway Trust fund. (l) The Secretary, in cooperation with State highway departments and local officials, shall conduct a full and complete investigation and study of the problem of providing increased highway safety by the relocation of railroad lines from the central area of cities on a nationwide basis, and report to the Congress his recommendations resulting from such investigation and study not later than July 1, 1975, including an estimate of the cost of such a program. Funds authorized to carry out section 307 of title 23, United States Code, are authorized to be used to carry out the investigation and study required by this subsection.