The FAA, effective June 30, 2010, will require all taxi clearances to  include specific runway crossing authorization and prohibit authorizing an aircraft to cross more than one runway using the same clearance, except circumstances where the two runways are less than 1000' apart.

Many pilots have experienced the frequent note of impatience that accompanies controller taxi instructions when the pilot verifies crossing clearances not withstanding a "taxi to" clearance allowing the pilot to cross all intervening taxiways and runways.  For many years this pilot and thousands like me have acknowledged such a clearance and then asked for crossing clearance at each intersecting runway as we approached them.  It is not unusual to get a brief lecture from the controller explaining that his/her instructions were a clearance to cross all runways. The FAA has finally realized that this simple procedure will reduce dramatically the high incidence of taxi errors made by both controllers and pilots.  I look forward to June 30th when I will no longer be "educated" or scolded for my abundance of caution.

FAA Documents Linked HERE