Wauwatosa engineers outline crossing upgrades, grant prospects and quiet‑zone recertification

City engineering staff briefed the committee on railroad crossing safety work, grant opportunities and near-term improvements across Wauwatosa’s eight at‑grade crossings.

The presentation said the city has eight at‑grade crossings — six with Canadian Pacific (CP) and two with Union Pacific (UP) — and summarized a CRISI (Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements) diagnostic review led by the Federal Railroad Administration. "This was a grant awarded to the city by the Federal Rail Administration," the presenter said, describing diagnostic team reviews with railroad and federal staff and a public input meeting. The diagnostic review found no immediate life‑safety emergencies but identified about $2,700,000 in possible improvements that could be pursued with future grant funding.

Engineering described several ongoing or planned technical measures: the city began joint yearly reviews of traffic-signal and railroad bungalow communications as required by the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads; it has installed an XRPS unit that simulates gate activity and improves the timing between gate‑down and signal changes so lights do not remain green while gates are down; and staff used months of crossing video to analyze behavior and safety violations.

CP Rail is scheduled to improve crossings at 60th/3rd Street and 70th/2nd Street this year, staff said. The city described a separate, federal Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant for Walnut Road: $1,000,000 in federal funds plus an anticipated ~ $250,000 local (TIF) match to study options that could include lowering the road beneath the tracks to provide a new underpass and pedestrian/bike accommodations. For 100‑115th Street, the city said it will likely pay some improvement costs tied to a roadway/sidewalk project; construction at that location is not planned before 2026.

Committee members and residents raised pedestrian-safety questions. Staff and consultants said pedestrian gates that close sidewalks generally are not recommended for these crossings because they can trap or panic users and may not reduce risk without full fencing and escape routes. The DOT consultant researched sidewalk arms and other approaches and concluded they did not necessarily improve safety in this environment. "We actually talked about that quite extensively...they came back and it showed that it doesn't actually provide any more safety," an engineer said.

Staff emphasized operational steps residents can take during crossing malfunctions: call 911 for life‑threatening events and use the blue sign phone number at crossings to contact the railroad by crossing number for service issues. The presentation also noted ongoing quiet‑zone recertification work and that the city will repaint pavement markings and replace faded signs as part of quiet‑zone maintenance.

Staff said they will continue to pursue grants, work with CP Rail and UP on crossing resurfacing and signal timing improvements, and keep the committee informed of grant timing and construction schedules.