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U.S.Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm News

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Statement by Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman On the U.S. DOT Inspector General’s Report on Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Accident Reporting and Data Analysis Safety Oversight

Contact: Steve Kulm or Warren Flatau
Telephone: 202-493-6024

Monday, May 07, 2007 (Washington, DC) "Ensuring safety at highway-rail grade crossings is a shared challenge requiring vigilance and sustained cooperation between the Federal government, railroads, states and localities.

Reducing the frequency and severity of collisions at highway-rail grade crossings is vital and we have consistently provided innovative engineering, education and enforcement solutions to help reach that goal.

We recognize the value of obtaining valid and reliable data, and concur with the OIG’s recommendations that improved data collection and analysis can aid states in determining where safety improvements are made, and to optimize their use of resources available for that purpose."

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