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Re: Santa Maria residents complain about RR tracks
Author: Erik H.
Date: 12-09-2017 - 17:10
There's no reason for the tracks to be there. There is no customer on that segment. City should investigate its franchise agreement with the railroad to determine who is responsible for the maintenance; if the railroad is, then take them to court.
Otherwise, go to the STB and file for an adverse abandonment, saying the railroad is a hazard and unused. Once that's done, just pave right over the tracks.
What do you expect a city citizen/resident to do? If they do work in the street, they can get hit with tens of thousands of dollars in fines. They pay taxes to the city and have a rightful expectation the street is maintained. The city in turn should have a legal contract with the railroad stating who is responsible for maintaining what, when a public street and a private railroad share a right-of-way. These homeowners are probably fed up with petty city code violations that they can get fined $500 for like the color of the paint on their house, or the condition of a sidewalk, or how a tree is trimmed, or whether a car was parked in front of their street for longer than 48 hours; but the railroad is allowed to rip up city streets and get away with it.
Otherwise, go to the STB and file for an adverse abandonment, saying the railroad is a hazard and unused. Once that's done, just pave right over the tracks.
What do you expect a city citizen/resident to do? If they do work in the street, they can get hit with tens of thousands of dollars in fines. They pay taxes to the city and have a rightful expectation the street is maintained. The city in turn should have a legal contract with the railroad stating who is responsible for maintaining what, when a public street and a private railroad share a right-of-way. These homeowners are probably fed up with petty city code violations that they can get fined $500 for like the color of the paint on their house, or the condition of a sidewalk, or how a tree is trimmed, or whether a car was parked in front of their street for longer than 48 hours; but the railroad is allowed to rip up city streets and get away with it.
