The goals for this project are to evaluate 26 public, at-grade crossings in Stephenson County to: • Develop a comprehensive plan to improve the safety and mobility of people and goods. • Advance prioritized at-grade crossing projects into the Project Development phase. • Eliminate crossings through a grade separation or closure where feasible. • Enhance safety for vehicles and pedestrians. • Reduce delays for people, goods, and emergency services. • Reduce environmental and public health impacts (e.g., decrease idling, eliminate emissions, facilitate material handling safety). • Improve infrastructure resilience to natural and human-caused hazards. • Provide community benefits, such as creating connections, linking users to destinations, and reducing noise pollution. • Address current and future traffic flows and land use/development trends. • Reduce travel costs for people and goods. • Minimize long-term maintenance costs for new infrastructure. • Create a priority list of crossing based on the goals identified above.
