Kutztown Folk Festival, Pottstown GoFourth Fest

Jun. 30—There are a lot of projects that will receive funding through President Joe Biden's 2021 federal infrastructure law that U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean likes.

But the one she was touting Friday morning in Boyertown holds an extra special place in her heart.

Standing outside the historic train station that sits in the center of Boyertown, the Democrat who represents parts of Berks and Montgomery counties said the Colebrookdale Railroad has quickly become a favorite in her office.

One of her staffers wants to get engaged there, Dean said, even though she hasn't yet picked out the guy. And Dean spoke excitedly about her plans to take her four grandchildren on a Christmas train ride where they'll get a chance to meet Santa Claus.

It was clear that Dean felt the Colebrookdale Railroad, which takes riders on a scenic round trip from Boyertown to Pottstown, is a worthy endeavor. And she was pleased that federal dollars will be going toward making improvements to it.

"These are some of my favorite days — days when we come together to celebrate the use of federal dollars to accomplish a vision in our local community," she said. "We thought this was a really valuable grant to support and we were so glad when we found out the proposal had been approved."

As part of the infrastructure bill, Berks County is receiving $16 million from the Federal Railroad Administration to help make 10 rail crossings on the Colebrookdale Railroad safer for motorists, pedestrians and trains.

The funding is part of a broader effort by the Berks County Redevelopment Authority to eliminate dangerous railroad crossings. The authority is responsible for 20%, or $4 million, of the $20 million Colebrookdale Railroad Crossing Elimination and Hazard Reduction Program that officials say will save lives and reduce harm on a rail line that has seen a sharp increase in traffic over the past decade.

"The project has been carefully conceived over the past five years to respond to an alarming increase of dangerous incidents and near-misses on a 150-year-old rail corridor coming back to life after many decades of near abandonment," the authority wrote in its grant application.

Dean said Friday that improving the safety and functionality of our railroads is crucial to the sustainability and growth of our communities.

She said this investment in Colebrookdale Railroad will help make rail crossings safer while lifting up redevelopment in Boyertown and Pottstown. And as Colebrookdale Railroad continues to grow as an economic and tourist engine, she believes these investments will shine a light on the region.

Kenneth Pick, executive director of the Berks County Redevelopment Authority, said its relationship with Colebrookdale Railroad has proved to be a great example of the public-private partnership concept.

"This is a great day to celebrate this partnership," he said. "We are excited to continue that relationship by making these needed improvements thanks to federal funding."

Nathaniel Guest, Colebrookdale Railroad executive director, said the organization is grateful to its federal, state and local elected officials for their leadership in bringing these needed infrastructure funds to the region. He said the investment will preserve a lifeline for businesses whose work is foundational to the economy.

"When we started the effort to rescue a nearly abandoned railroad corridor more than a decade ago we understood but thoroughly underestimated the value that a connection to the national railroad system would hold," he said. "The use of rail is the most efficient form of land transportation known to man and increasingly makes more sense."

Guest said they also underestimated the role that infrastructure will have in the future.

"In the future, the deciding factor of whether an economy is going to be growing or shrinking is going to be infrastructure," he said. "So we are not the only ones who will be grateful for this investment in our infrastructure, it will be our children and our grandchildren who will enjoy it well into the future."

Boyertown Mayor Lori Carnes applauded the efforts of the officials who supported the funding proposal, and singled out Guest for his tireless work to make the Colebrookdale Railroad an attractive destination that lifts the local economy.

"This railroad is the center of our town, and it shows so nicely," she said.

Carnes credited Guest for bringing these railroad crossing concerns to the attention of local, state and federal officials. And she thanked those officials for listening to him and taking action by lending their support to the grant proposal that will make the improvements he suggested a reality.

The federal funding will be used to help eliminate one road-level rail crossing at Third Street and improve safety protections at the following six road-level crossings:

—Philadelphia Avenue

—Warwick Street

—Greshville Road

—Manatawny Drive

—Pottstown Pike

—King Street

The funding will also raise three bridges to improve visibility:

—Mill Street Bridge

—Farmington Avenue Bridge

—Grosstown Road Bridge

The authority said in its grant application that the improvements will eliminate all the significant safety issues on a rail corridor used for the transportation of freight and passengers. It will also increase climate resiliency and efficient transportation by potentially removing up to 44,680 trucks from the highway each year and ensuring traffic can move more fluidly and safely through the corridor.