Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grant Program

The Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) program provides funding for the construction of projects which will eliminate hazards and improve safety at public railway-highway crossings.

An applicant must be a “commuter authority” as defined in 49 U.S.C. 24102, which is a State, local, or regional entity established to provide, or make a contract for, commuter rail passenger transportation. An eligible commuter authority must have experienced at least one accident investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018, and for which the NTSB issued an accident report.The applicant must be either: (1) a commuter authority that meets the eligibility requirements listed above; OR (2) a public or non-profit entity partnering with an eligible commuter authority. NOTE: Applicants are encouraged to partner with their State DOT and are encouraged to have their State DOT apply as the prime applicant for receipt of DOT Federal funding. As appropriate, awards may be made to State DOTs as pass-through grantees for administration of the funds to a commuter authority as a subawardee. Per 2 CFR 200.1, a pass-through entity is a non-Federal entity that provides a subaward to a subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal program.

NOTE: If eligible commuter authority applicants operate on a rail corridor owned by an entity other than the commuter authority, a letter from the rail owners is required supporting the proposed project.

Varies by project. Generally, FHWA publishes a notice of funding, soliciting applications for assistance, reviews these applications, and determines which applications are most qualified for award. Please see the individual notice of funding for details.