Chapter 10.56
RAILROADS
10.56.000 Chapter Contents
Sections:
10.56.010 Railroad company defined.
10.56.020 Blocking street crossings.
10.56.030 Railroad cars--Moving across grade crossings and along tracks adjacent to streets.
10.56.040 Railroad cars and locomotives--Leaving unattended.
10.56.050 Speed of switch engines at intersections.
10.56.060 Switching--Allowing traffic to pass.
10.56.070 Switching--Prohibited at certain times and places.
10.56.080 Grade crossings--Cutting weeds and maintaining visibility.
10.56.090 Vehicles and pedestrians must comply with railroad signs.
10.56.100 Compliance with chapter is in addition to other laws.
10.56.110 Penalty for violation.
10.56.010 Railroad company defined
Where the term "railroad company" is used in this chapter as to any unlawful act, the term includes the operating company and such supervisory employees who are in charge of any such switch engines or railroad cars.
(Ord. 3105 §9, 1959).
10.56.020 Blocking street crossings
It is unlawful to stop or stand any railroad locomotive, railroad car or cars or combination of both, or any other railroad equipment, so as to close any street or street crossing to vehicular traffic for a longer period than five minutes at any time, or to close by any moving train more than three consecutive street intersections at any given time, or to close by any standing train more than two consecutive street intersections at any time.
(Ord. 3105 §3, 1959).
10.56.030 Railroad cars –Moving across grade crossings and along tracks adjacent to streets
It is unlawful to move or to commence to move any railroad car or cars over any street grade crossing or along any tracks extending along any streets or immediately adjacent to any streets, unless the car or cars are attached to a railroad engine. It is also unlawful to move across or switch any railroad cars across any crossing which is not protected by an automatic signaling device and approved by the city commission unless prior to the movement of such cars across such crossing a competent flagman is placed at such intersection to warn such motoring or pedestrian traffic along any street crossed by such railroad; provided, that such flagging will not be required when the locomotive is on the head end of the train and provided further, that the locomotive will come to a complete stop before the train enters the intersection.
(Ord. 3408 §1, 1967; Ord. 3105 §1, 1959).
10.56.040 Railroad cars and locomotives –Leaving unattended
It is unlawful for any locomotive, railroad car or cars to be left unattended on any main track having a grade of one percent or more.
(Ord. 3105 §2, 1959).
10.56.050 Speed of switch engines at intersections
It is unlawful for any switch engine or switch train to travel at a speed in excess of five miles per hour at any intersection within the city.
(Ord. 3105 §4, 1959).
10.56.060 Switching-allowing traffic to pass
When any switching movement across any grade crossing has been completed and the crossing cleared, it is unlawful to reverse movement across such crossing until all accumulated vehicular traffic on such street has cleared the intersection.
(Ord. 3105 §5, 1959).
10.56.070 Switching –Prohibited at certain times and places
It is unlawful to move any switch train consisting of a locomotive and more than five cars over and across any of the following grade crossings between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8:15 a.m., 11:50 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., 12:40 p.m. to 1:05 p.m., 3:25 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: East Union Avenue, East Fourth Avenue, East State Avenue, Legion Way, Columbia Street at West Seventh. It is further unlawful to permit any public road or street crossing to be closed to vehicular traffic by any standing car, train, engine or other railroad equipment between the periods stated in this section.
(Ord. 3105 §6, 1959).
10.56.080 Grade crossings –Cutting weeds and maintaining visibility
It shall be the duty of any railroad company owning or having control of any grade crossing to cut all weeds, trees and other vegetation on railroad property, such as might block visibility for a distance of seventy-five feet from the street rights-of-way lines. No railroad car shall be left standing on any track within twenty-five feet of a street rights-of-way line; provided, that this limitation shall not apply to sidings or spur tracks serving industrial premises.
(Ord. 3105 §7, 1959).
10.56.090 Vehicles and pedestrians must comply with railroad signs
It is unlawful for any person driving a motor vehicle, or any pedestrian, to fail or refuse to stop or obey any mechanical device, or the lawful orders of any flagman at any railroad crossing.
(Ord. 3105 §10, 1959).
10.56.100 Compliance with chapters is in addition to other laws
Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to supersede any existing regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Washington State Public Service Commission, or any other regulating agency, but shall be deemed to supplement any such regulations. Compliance with this chapter shall in no way relieve any railroad company from compliance with or from the enforcement of any such regulations.
(Ord. 3105 §8, 1959).
10.56.110 Penalty for violation
Any violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by not more than thirty days in the city jail, or by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(Ord. 3105 §11, 1959).