By Diana Goovaerts
Published: February 1, 2023
The Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Broadband Cooperatives (VMDABC) and the Virginia Association of Counties, which have been pushing for legislation to address the issue, have said crossing fees can total as much as $20,000 per crossing. The Senate bill working its way through Virginia’s legislature aims to cap railroad fees at $750 for each crossing, though a House version of the same measure calls for a $1,500 cap.
Virginia’s legislation would also set a 30-day timeline for railroads for review crossing requests. The process currently can take up to 18 months in extreme cases.