Burlingame Grade Separation Wins a Federal Grant
Published: November 8, 2026
By: Adam Burns
U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin said on November 5, 2026 that the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $90.4 million for construction of the Caltrain Broadway Grade Separation in Burlingame. The money is a Railroad Crossing Elimination grant. The next sentence of the same release calls it a $90 million federal grant, made possible through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Mullin’s own quote also says an additional $90 million grant. Caltrain applied with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and the city of Burlingame.
An aerial view of the Broadway Caltrain crossing in Burlingame, California. Caltrain photo.
The crossing
The release says the California Public Utilities Commission ranks the Broadway crossing as the top-priority grade separation in California, and that more than 30,000 vehicles travel through it each day. Separating the railroad from the street, the release says, will improve safety, reduce congestion, and lower emissions.
Earlier this year Mullin secured an additional $3 million in federal funds for the project through the annual appropriations process. His quote calls that sum federal Community Project Funding.
“Caltrain, the City of Burlingame, and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority have been working tirelessly to make important safety upgrades at Broadway, which has been deemed the most dangerous rail crossing in all of California,” Mullin said. He said the FRA grant, together with the $3 million secured earlier this year, will help improve safety in the community.
“These federal awards advance the grade separations our communities need to enhance protection for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and our passengers, and create a safer corridor for generations to come,” said Rico E. Medina, Caltrain board chair. Julia Mates, chair of the transportation authority board, called the award a milestone for a project the authority’s local investment had positioned for delivery.
“The City of Burlingame thanks its federal partners for joining our State, County and City financing team to finally make Broadway grade separation a reality,” said Mayor Michael Brownrigg.
May 2027
The release says the grant secures a critical piece of the project funding and keeps construction on track. The partners will keep looking for money for added pedestrian and bicycle circulation, and they will coordinate that work with delivery of the grade separation. Site preparation, utility relocation, and other early construction are expected to begin in May 2027. Construction is expected to be complete in January 2032.
The Railroad Crossing Elimination program is the same federal program covered in an earlier report on the October 30 awards.
Related reading on American-Rails.com
Sources
- Office of U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, San Mateo, November 5, 2026, “Local Leaders, Caltrain, Mullin Secure $90 Million Grant for Burlingame Grade Separation Project,” kevinmullin.house.gov/2026/11/05/local-leaders-caltrain-mullin-secure-90-million-grant-for-burlingame-grade-separation-project/. Opening sentence: $90.4 million for construction, Railroad Crossing Elimination Program. Following sentence and the Mullin quote: $90 million. Additional $3 million earlier this year through annual appropriations. The quote names Community Project Funding. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021. CPUC top-priority grade separation in California. More than 30,000 vehicles a day. Quotes from Rico E. Medina, Julia Mates, and Mayor Michael Brownrigg are from this release. The “most dangerous” wording is inside the Mullin quote. Site preparation, utility relocation, and other early work expected in May 2027. Construction expected complete in January 2032. Pedestrian and bicycle circulation funding still being pursued.
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