It's widely recognized here in North America, especially by the railroads themselves. The two ways to eliminate grade crossings are to build a grade separation, or if it sees low levels of traffic, close the crossing. The first option cost megabucks. The second may only inconvenience a few people but they are voters so the local politicians are usually reluctant to permit it. I think most major railroads are actively pushing the agenda, and have had some success. But compared with the number of crossings, the successful closures are not much better than a drop in the bucket.
Sometimes when a grade separation is built, to obtain senior funding other nearby grade crossings get closed to make the safety benefit more attractive.
To throw out a personal thought, one factor making a grade separation so costly is the increasingly "high end" road design standards. In the past you might build a narrow two lane timber trestle to carry a local rural road over the tracks. Now it has to have wide lanes, perhaps with shoulders, gradual approach grades and permit the heaviest vehicles. Because those enhanced safety features makes it cost prohibitive, the perhaps more dangerous grade crossing remains.
John
Melborne is starting their program of eliminating 50 of their level crossing. At least some where in the world the elimination of grade crossings is recognized.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/infrastructure/single-view/view/more-melbourne-crossings-to-go.html
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