City of Dubuque pursues railway safety grant

The city of Dubuque is moving quickly to apply for a nearly $3 million grant to use for safety improvements in at-grade intersections with railroad tracks through the city. Ultimately, the city hopes to gain a quiet-zone designation so trains would not be required to blow their warning horns while traveling through town. The Dubuque City Council will be asked Monday, May 20, to approve the city’s application for funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration. Applications are due May 28. Grant awards are not expected to be announced until fall. The city is planning the safety improvements and quiet-zone designation with an eye toward the future. The merger of the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads is expected to increase the number of trains passing through Dubuque over the next few years from nine trains per day to 18.