In 2020, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) required every state to create a rail State Action Plan (SAP) by February 2022. The SAP was required to list rail grade and pathway crossings that:
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had recent accidents or incidents,
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had more than one accident or incident, or
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were considered high-risk for accidents or incidents based on the SAP.
Each SAP had to describe ways to make crossings safer, such as closing crossings or separating roads from tracks. The plan also had to name the UTC official in charge of putting the plan into action.
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) created the Washington Highway-Rail Grade Crossing State Action Plan (SAP) (PDF) to focus on improving safety at the 58 identified higher-risk crossings in Washington. The UTC’s SAP also established specific goals, objectives, and strategies for SAP implementation.
Each year, the UTC shares a SAP Progress Report to show what progress staff have made toward the plan’s goals and objectives. See SAP Progress Report 2025 (PDF).
For questions, please contact rail@utc.wa.gov.