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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Res 1377 1965-04-19 -' '. ;.... ~:'f -, . ., " .. / I RESOLUTION NO, 1377 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF mE CITY OF SEAL BEACH OPPOSING ASSEMBLY BILLS 346 and 431 RELATING TO THE APPORTIONMENT OF CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE EXPENSE OF RAILROAD CROSSINGS TO PUBLIC AGENCIES. mE CITY COUNCIL OF mE CITY OF SEAL BEACH DOES HEREBY RESOLVE: WHEREAS, Section 1202 of the Public Utilities Code of the State of California grants to the public Utilities Commission the power to determine and prescribe the terms of installation, operation, maintenance, use and protection of each crossing of a public highway by a railroad; and WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 346 will add a new section to the Public Utilities Code which purports to apportion the maintenance expense between the railroads and public agencies in the proportion as the cost of constructing or altering a grade crossing; and WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 346 would apply to grade crossings constructed or altered since October 1, 1963; and I WHEREAS, the long-standing policy of the Public Utilities Commission has been to impose at least 50% of the cost of constructing or altering a grade crossing upon the public agency involved and, in many instances, the public agency has paid all of the cost of constructing or altering a grade crossing; and WHEREAS, it has been the policy of the Public Utilities Commission to require the installation of gate arms at grade crossings newly constructed or altered; and WHEREAS, such gate arms. operate solely for the benefit of the rail- roads in that the railroad is given the unregulated right of way over vehicular and pedestrian traffic using the public h!ghway; and WHEREAS, vehicular and pedestrian traffic using the public highway at a grade crossing is interfered with and traffic congestion is caused by the unregulated right of way; and WHEREAS, the unregulated right of way permits trains to operate at higher speeds; and WHEREAS, the presence of gate arms results in the railroads having fewer accidents, and in fewer claims being filed against them; and I WHEREAS, the Public Utilities Commission has repeatedly found that maintenance expense of grade crossings hould be borne by the railroads; and WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 431 purports to apportion the costs of construction in respect to that area between the rails and two feet outside each rail on the basis of 50 % to the railroad and 50 % to the public agency; and WHEREAS, the railroad should bear such cost because special construction is needed in such area in order to permit trains to pass over the highway with- out causing an extraordinary amount of maintenance to the highway, ,,-r;o ,. -~ I I 1 ~ Resolution Number~ ~ . '0 . ,;;: '. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEAL BEACH that it does hereby declare and state that the City Council of the City of Seal Beach is opposed to Assembly Bill 346, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Seal Beach is opposed to Assembly Bill 431 insofar as it attempts to apportion construction costs for that area with two feet outside each rail at grade crossings to public agencies. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of the resolution be prepared and sent to the Honorable John G. Schmitz, State Senator, and to the Honorable William E. Dannemeyer, the Honorable James E, Whetmore and the Honorable Robert E. Badham, State Assemblymen from Orange County, PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Seal Beach at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19th day of April, 1965, by the following vote: AYES: ABSENT: Councilmen Nescher, Gemmill, Griswold, Anderson Councilman Gummere ATTEST: /?V ~~ F, W. Hickman, City Clerk . _ .hq.i ....". =. , " - .~.:;.~...... '!U-. ~ r....~.................'.. '. .... "t"I''' ,... ~, '-" ~2 ~ "," , "",">'. ........ '.;. ... ..r {.~, .... + .. ~~t~ .~ '::.; t:'.. ~ .. ...~..;, ~ '",' ~ -,..# '.",:: :)-k' . ~'..,.. ~.... '"!,,~ "'o-~...." ~~........ ",_;;--.-r