OLI offering rail transit safety education grants
Written by Andrew Corselli
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) announced March 14 that the application period is open for its Rail Transit Safety Education Grants. The grants offer $175,000 in funding for transit agencies, other government entities that provide transit service and state Operation Lifesaver programs to conduct rail transit safety education and public awareness initiatives.
The grant amounts are capped at $20,000 and require non-federal matching funds of at least 25% of project costs. The projects must be focused on safety education or public awareness initiatives in communities with operating or planned rail transit systems. OLI must approve all materials created as part of the grant, and all grants must be coordinated with state Operation Lifesaver programs.
“Operation Lifesaver is pleased to open its call for applications for 2019 Rail Transit Safety Education Grants,” said OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh. “We are grateful to the Federal Transit Administration for the agency’s support that helps make these grants, as well as our ongoing rail safety education and outreach efforts, possible.”
Contact information for state coordinators throughout the U.S. is available at www.oli.org/state_coordinators/. All applications must be submitted via the Common Grant Application online processing program by Monday, April 22. The grants will be announced by May 31.
In related news, OLI announced it has three new leaders in place for its state programs. Kansas Operation Lifesaver’s State Coordinator is Aaron Mays, Oklahoma’s State Coordinator is Mark Sexton and Gary Koerner handles the position in Wisconsin.
“Operation Lifesaver is fortunate to have these three safety experts working to make communities safer in Kansas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin,” said Maleh.
Topeka resident Mays assumed the role last September from Tara Mays, who held the position since 2017. Sexton, a resident of the Oklahoma City suburb Cashion, has been an Operation Lifesaver volunteer since 2016 and succeeded Sherry Soliz when she retired in 2018. Appleton resident Koerner, who has ben involved with Operation Lifesaver since 2012 and is a certified OLI volunteer coach, takes over for Susan Klinger.
