$6 Million in Funding for the Blackstone and McKinley Railroad Separations Project Approved by Fresno County Transportation Authority
The Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) awarded $35.1M of Measure C funding to the City of Fresno. This funding will pay for environmental clearance, design, and buying of land. It will support two railroad-grade separations. These will be at Blackstone and McKinley, near Fresno City College. Grade separations keep car, bus, walking, and bicycling traffic separate from trains.
Measure C’s Alternative Transportation Program set out to combine the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific railroads. When combining these two railroads didn’t work, funds went to grade separations. This choice aimed to enhance transit, reduce congestion, and improve air quality. It also improved public safety.
Every day, 37 trains and more than 42,000 vehicles pass through these intersections, leading to congestion. The project will redirect traffic under the BNSF tracks. This is like what was done at Shaw and West crossings. It will enhance the City’s Bus Rapid Transit “Q” line and ease traffic for Fresno City College. Sadly, five people have died at these crossings in the last ten years. This project aims to remove that risk.
The total project cost is $162 million and is expected to be completed in 2026. The original $35.1 million Measure C commitment included costs for environmental clearance, design, and right-of-way acquisitions. Because of right-of-way issues, costs went up. The city then received an extra $80M from a CALSTA grant. This was approved on July 6, 2023.
This project supports the “Better Blackstone” initiative, aiming to enhance the corridor. It also supports the affordable housing project at the southwest corner of McKinley and Blackstone.
