Saratoga News
News
Photograph by Bob Battaglia
Crews build a fence to block the popular pedestrian railroad crossing at Lido Way and Guava Court.
City doesn't own easement, so fence blocks RR crossing
By Shannon Burkey
A popular pedestrian railroad crossing at Lido Way and Guava Court was fenced over last week by city employees, despite the fact that the city has been working to try and make the necessary improvements.
In order for the city to make the required safety improvements at the crossing, which is owned by Union Pacific Railroad and was ordered closed by the California Public Utilities Commission because of safety issues, it must first obtain an easement from the railroad.
For years, the city was under the impression that it owned the easement. It wasn't until recently, when the CPUC brought the safety issues to its attention, that it found the easement is actually owned by Union Pacific.
In July, city officials sent a letter to Union Pacific requesting to purchase the easement. However, their efforts have been met with silence by the railroad.
"We're willing to do those improvements except, without the easement, we're not allowed. It's not our property and the railroad doesn't seem to want to give it to us," public works director John Cherbone said.
When the issue of the crossing being closed first arose, the city wanted to know how residents felt. A questionnaire was sent to residents near the crossing to find out how much us it got and whether residents wanted to keep it. The questionnaires came back overwhelmingly in support of keeping the crossing open.
The city learned that not only do residents use the crossing for their daily walks, but many students also use it to walk to Blue Hills Elementary School.
"With it now closed, it kind of divides the community," Cherbone said. "Before, there was a middle point access along that corridor. Now the access to the school along that corridor has been cut off. Parents will have to get back into their cars now to take their kids to school."
Although Cherbone said the city knows many of the residents in the area of the crossing will not be happy, the city's hands are tied.
"It's not our property," he said. "I don't know what other steps we can take; there aren't a lot of options if they say no to granting the easement."
City officials are frustrated in part because the railroad has not turned it down; it has not responded to its request.
"Not a word, not a phone call--we just haven't heard anything at all," Cherbone said. "Our next step is to follow up to see why they haven't responded to our request. It has definitely been a disappointing issue for us--we'll just have to wait and see what happens."
Cherbone said it may take community members to get the attention of the railroad and the CPUC, and he advises residents affected by the closure to voice their concerns.
"Public pressure is probably the best way to at least get the message across," he said. "I think the public has to show this is important to them and pressure those agencies to get it done, or at least give us a reason why they won't do it."
For more information on the closure, residents can go to the city website at www.saratoga.ca.us and click on the 'current projects' link.
