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91_HB3877
LRB9110507DHsb
1 AN ACT concerning railroad grade crossings, amending
2 named Acts.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Motor Fuel Tax Law is amended by changing
6 Section 8 as follows:
7 (35 ILCS 505/8) (from Ch. 120, par. 424)
8 Sec. 8. Except as provided in Sections 8a and 13a.6 and
9 items 13, 14, 15, and 16 of Section 15, all money received by
10 the Department under this Act, including payments made to the
11 Department by member jurisdictions participating in the
12 International Fuel Tax Agreement, shall be deposited in a
13 special fund in the State treasury, to be known as the "Motor
14 Fuel Tax Fund", and shall be used as follows:
15 (a) 2 1/2 cents per gallon of the tax collected on
16 special fuel under paragraph (b) of Section 2 and Section 13a
17 of this Act shall be transferred to the State Construction
18 Account Fund in the State Treasury;
19 (b) $420,000 shall be transferred each month to the
20 State Boating Act Fund to be used by the Department of
21 Natural Resources for the purposes specified in Article X of
22 the Boat Registration and Safety Act;
23 (c) $2,250,000 shall be transferred each month to the
24 Grade Crossing Protection Fund to be used as follows: not
25 less than $6,000,000 each fiscal year shall be used for the
26 construction or reconstruction of rail highway grade
27 separation structures; beginning with fiscal year 1997 and
28 ending in fiscal year 2003, $1,500,000, and $750,000 in
29 fiscal year 2004 and each fiscal year thereafter shall be
30 transferred to the Transportation Regulatory Fund and shall
31 be accounted for as part of the rail carrier portion of such
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1 funds and shall be used to pay the cost of administration of
2 the Illinois Commerce Commission's railroad safety program in
3 connection with its duties under subsection (3) of Section
4 18c-7401 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, with the remainder to
5 be used by the Department of Transportation upon order of the
6 Illinois Commerce Commission, to pay that part of the cost
7 apportioned by such Commission to the State to cover the
8 interest of the public in the use of highways, roads, or
9 streets in the county highway system, township and district
10 road system or municipal street system as defined in the
11 Illinois Highway Code, as the same may from time to time be
12 amended, for separation of grades, for installation,
13 construction or reconstruction of crossing protection or
14 reconstruction, alteration, relocation including construction
15 or improvement of any existing highway necessary for access
16 to property or improvement of any grade crossing including
17 the necessary highway approaches thereto of any railroad
18 across the highway or public road, to compensate a highway
19 authority in interest for the closure of a crossing that
20 otherwise would qualify for automatic warning devices, as
21 provided for in and in accordance with Section 18c-7401 of
22 the Illinois Vehicle Code. In entering orders for projects
23 for which payments from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund
24 will be made, the Commission shall account for expenditures
25 authorized by the orders on a cash rather than an accrual
26 basis. For purposes of this requirement an "accrual basis"
27 assumes that the total cost of the project is expended in the
28 fiscal year in which the order is entered, while a "cash
29 basis" allocates the cost of the project among fiscal years
30 as expenditures are actually made. To meet the requirements
31 of this subsection, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall
32 develop annual and 5-year project plans of rail crossing
33 capital improvements that will be paid for with moneys from
34 the Grade Crossing Protection Fund. The annual project plan
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1 shall identify projects for the succeeding fiscal year and
2 the 5-year project plan shall identify projects for the 5
3 directly succeeding fiscal years. The Commission shall
4 submit the annual and 5-year project plans for this Fund to
5 the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Senate
6 Minority Leader, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
7 and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives on
8 the first Wednesday in April of each year;
9 (d) of the amount remaining after allocations provided
10 for in subsections (a), (b) and (c), a sufficient amount
11 shall be reserved to pay all of the following:
12 (1) the costs of the Department of Revenue in
13 administering this Act;
14 (2) the costs of the Department of Transportation
15 in performing its duties imposed by the Illinois Highway
16 Code for supervising the use of motor fuel tax funds
17 apportioned to municipalities, counties and road
18 districts;
19 (3) refunds provided for in Section 13 of this Act
20 and under the terms of the International Fuel Tax
21 Agreement referenced in Section 14a;
22 (4) from October 1, 1985 until June 30, 1994, the
23 administration of the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law,
24 which amount shall be certified monthly by the
25 Environmental Protection Agency to the State Comptroller
26 and shall promptly be transferred by the State
27 Comptroller and Treasurer from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund to
28 the Vehicle Inspection Fund, and beginning July 1, 1994,
29 and until December 31, 2000, one-twelfth of $25,000,000
30 each month for the administration of the Vehicle
31 Emissions Inspection Law of 1995, to be transferred by
32 the State Comptroller and Treasurer from the Motor Fuel
33 Tax Fund into the Vehicle Inspection Fund;
34 (5) amounts ordered paid by the Court of Claims;
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1 and
2 (6) payment of motor fuel use taxes due to member
3 jurisdictions under the terms of the International Fuel
4 Tax Agreement. The Department shall certify these
5 amounts to the Comptroller by the 15th day of each month;
6 the Comptroller shall cause orders to be drawn for such
7 amounts, and the Treasurer shall administer those amounts
8 on or before the last day of each month;
9 (e) after allocations for the purposes set forth in
10 subsections (a), (b), (c) and (d), the remaining amount shall
11 be apportioned as follows:
12 (1) Until January 1, 2000, 58.4%, and beginning
13 January 1, 2000, 45.6% shall be deposited as follows:
14 (A) 37% into the State Construction Account
15 Fund, and
16 (B) 63% into the Road Fund, $1,250,000 of
17 which shall be reserved each month for the
18 Department of Transportation to be used in
19 accordance with the provisions of Sections 6-901
20 through 6-906 of the Illinois Highway Code;
21 (2) Until January 1, 2000, 41.6%, and beginning
22 January 1, 2000, 54.4% shall be transferred to the
23 Department of Transportation to be distributed as
24 follows:
25 (A) 49.10% to the municipalities of the State,
26 (B) 16.74% to the counties of the State having
27 1,000,000 or more inhabitants,
28 (C) 18.27% to the counties of the State having
29 less than 1,000,000 inhabitants,
30 (D) 15.89% to the road districts of the State.
31 As soon as may be after the first day of each month the
32 Department of Transportation shall allot to each municipality
33 its share of the amount apportioned to the several
34 municipalities which shall be in proportion to the population
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1 of such municipalities as determined by the last preceding
2 municipal census if conducted by the Federal Government or
3 Federal census. If territory is annexed to any municipality
4 subsequent to the time of the last preceding census the
5 corporate authorities of such municipality may cause a census
6 to be taken of such annexed territory and the population so
7 ascertained for such territory shall be added to the
8 population of the municipality as determined by the last
9 preceding census for the purpose of determining the allotment
10 for that municipality. If the population of any municipality
11 was not determined by the last Federal census preceding any
12 apportionment, the apportionment to such municipality shall
13 be in accordance with any census taken by such municipality.
14 Any municipal census used in accordance with this Section
15 shall be certified to the Department of Transportation by the
16 clerk of such municipality, and the accuracy thereof shall be
17 subject to approval of the Department which may make such
18 corrections as it ascertains to be necessary.
19 As soon as may be after the first day of each month the
20 Department of Transportation shall allot to each county its
21 share of the amount apportioned to the several counties of
22 the State as herein provided. Each allotment to the several
23 counties having less than 1,000,000 inhabitants shall be in
24 proportion to the amount of motor vehicle license fees
25 received from the residents of such counties, respectively,
26 during the preceding calendar year. The Secretary of State
27 shall, on or before April 15 of each year, transmit to the
28 Department of Transportation a full and complete report
29 showing the amount of motor vehicle license fees received
30 from the residents of each county, respectively, during the
31 preceding calendar year. The Department of Transportation
32 shall, each month, use for allotment purposes the last such
33 report received from the Secretary of State.
34 As soon as may be after the first day of each month, the
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1 Department of Transportation shall allot to the several
2 counties their share of the amount apportioned for the use of
3 road districts. The allotment shall be apportioned among the
4 several counties in the State in the proportion which the
5 total mileage of township or district roads in the respective
6 counties bears to the total mileage of all township and
7 district roads in the State. Funds allotted to the respective
8 counties for the use of road districts therein shall be
9 allocated to the several road districts in the county in the
10 proportion which the total mileage of such township or
11 district roads in the respective road districts bears to the
12 total mileage of all such township or district roads in the
13 county. After July 1 of any year, no allocation shall be
14 made for any road district unless it levied a tax for road
15 and bridge purposes in an amount which will require the
16 extension of such tax against the taxable property in any
17 such road district at a rate of not less than either .08% of
18 the value thereof, based upon the assessment for the year
19 immediately prior to the year in which such tax was levied
20 and as equalized by the Department of Revenue or, in DuPage
21 County, an amount equal to or greater than $12,000 per mile
22 of road under the jurisdiction of the road district,
23 whichever is less. If any road district has levied a special
24 tax for road purposes pursuant to Sections 6-601, 6-602 and
25 6-603 of the Illinois Highway Code, and such tax was levied
26 in an amount which would require extension at a rate of not
27 less than .08% of the value of the taxable property thereof,
28 as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, or, in
29 DuPage County, an amount equal to or greater than $12,000 per
30 mile of road under the jurisdiction of the road district,
31 whichever is less, such levy shall, however, be deemed a
32 proper compliance with this Section and shall qualify such
33 road district for an allotment under this Section. If a
34 township has transferred to the road and bridge fund money
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1 which, when added to the amount of any tax levy of the road
2 district would be the equivalent of a tax levy requiring
3 extension at a rate of at least .08%, or, in DuPage County,
4 an amount equal to or greater than $12,000 per mile of road
5 under the jurisdiction of the road district, whichever is
6 less, such transfer, together with any such tax levy, shall
7 be deemed a proper compliance with this Section and shall
8 qualify the road district for an allotment under this
9 Section.
10 In counties in which a property tax extension limitation
11 is imposed under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law,
12 road districts may retain their entitlement to a motor fuel
13 tax allotment if, at the time the property tax extension
14 limitation was imposed, the road district was levying a road
15 and bridge tax at a rate sufficient to entitle it to a motor
16 fuel tax allotment and continues to levy the maximum
17 allowable amount after the imposition of the property tax
18 extension limitation. Any road district may in all
19 circumstances retain its entitlement to a motor fuel tax
20 allotment if it levied a road and bridge tax in an amount
21 that will require the extension of the tax against the
22 taxable property in the road district at a rate of not less
23 than 0.08% of the assessed value of the property, based upon
24 the assessment for the year immediately preceding the year in
25 which the tax was levied and as equalized by the Department
26 of Revenue or, in DuPage County, an amount equal to or
27 greater than $12,000 per mile of road under the jurisdiction
28 of the road district, whichever is less.
29 As used in this Section the term "road district" means
30 any road district, including a county unit road district,
31 provided for by the Illinois Highway Code; and the term
32 "township or district road" means any road in the township
33 and district road system as defined in the Illinois Highway
34 Code. For the purposes of this Section, "road district" also
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1 includes park districts, forest preserve districts and
2 conservation districts organized under Illinois law and
3 "township or district road" also includes such roads as are
4 maintained by park districts, forest preserve districts and
5 conservation districts. The Department of Transportation
6 shall determine the mileage of all township and district
7 roads for the purposes of making allotments and allocations
8 of motor fuel tax funds for use in road districts.
9 Payment of motor fuel tax moneys to municipalities and
10 counties shall be made as soon as possible after the
11 allotment is made. The treasurer of the municipality or
12 county may invest these funds until their use is required and
13 the interest earned by these investments shall be limited to
14 the same uses as the principal funds.
15 (Source: P.A. 90-110, eff. 7-14-97; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98;
16 90-659, eff. 1-1-99; 90-691, eff. 1-1-99; 91-37, eff. 7-1-99;
17 91-59, eff. 6-30-99; 91-173, eff. 1-1-00; 91-357, eff.
18 7-29-99; revised 8-23-99.)
19 Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
20 changing Section 18c-7401 as follows:
21 (625 ILCS 5/18c-7401) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-7401)
22 Sec. 18c-7401. Safety Requirements for Track,
23 Facilities, and Equipment.
24 (1) General Requirements. Each rail carrier shall,
25 consistent with rules, orders, and regulations of the Federal
26 Railroad Administration, construct, maintain, and operate all
27 of its equipment, track, and other property in this State in
28 such a manner as to pose no undue risk to its employees or
29 the person or property of any member of the public.
30 (2) Adoption of Federal Standards. The track safety
31 standards and accident/incident standards promulgated by the
32 Federal Railroad Administration shall be safety standards of
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1 the Commission. The Commission may, in addition, adopt by
2 reference in its regulations other federal railroad safety
3 standards, whether contained in federal statutes or in
4 regulations adopted pursuant to such statutes.
5 (3) Railroad Crossings. No public road, highway, or
6 street shall hereafter be constructed across the track of any
7 rail carrier at grade, nor shall the track of any rail
8 carrier be constructed across a public road, highway or
9 street at grade, without having first secured the permission
10 of the Commission; provided, that this Section shall not
11 apply to the replacement of lawfully existing roads, highways
12 and tracks. The Commission shall permit the construction of
13 a public road, highway, or street across the track of a rail
14 carrier (i) if, in its opinion, the public safety and public
15 convenience justify the grade crossing and (ii) upon a
16 determination that a grade separation structure is not a
17 viable alternative due to lack of funding or engineering
18 constraints or both. The Commission shall have the right to
19 refuse its permission or to grant it upon such terms and
20 conditions as it may prescribe. The Commission shall have
21 power to determine and prescribe the manner, including the
22 particular point of crossing, and the terms of installation,
23 operation, maintenance, use and protection of each such
24 crossing.
25 The Commission shall also have power, after a hearing, to
26 require major alteration of or to abolish any crossing,
27 heretofore or hereafter established, when in its opinion, the
28 public safety requires such alteration or abolition, and,
29 except in cities, villages and incorporated towns of
30 1,000,000 or more inhabitants, to vacate and close that part
31 of the highway on such crossing altered or abolished and
32 cause barricades to be erected across such highway in such
33 manner as to prevent the use of such crossing as a highway,
34 when, in the opinion of the Commission, the public
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1 convenience served by the crossing in question is not such as
2 to justify the further retention thereof; or to require a
3 separation of grades, at such crossings; or to require a
4 separation of grades at any proposed crossing where a
5 proposed public highway may cross the tracks of any rail
6 carrier or carriers; and to prescribe, after a hearing of the
7 parties, the terms upon which such separations shall be made
8 and the proportion in which the expense of the alteration or
9 abolition of such crossings or the separation of such grades,
10 having regard to the benefits, if any, accruing to the rail
11 carrier or any party in interest, shall be divided between
12 the rail carrier or carriers affected, or between such
13 carrier or carriers and the State, county, municipality or
14 other public authority in interest. However, a public
15 hearing by the Commission to abolish a crossing shall not be
16 required when the public highway authority in interest
17 vacates the highway. In such instance the rail carrier,
18 following notification to the Commission and the highway
19 authority, shall remove any grade crossing warning devices
20 and the grade crossing surface. The Commission shall attempt
21 to reduce the number of public grade crossings, as
22 recommended by the Federal Railroad Administration.
23 The Commission shall also have power by its order to
24 require the reconstruction, minor alteration, minor
25 relocation or improvement of any crossing (including the
26 necessary highway approaches thereto) of any railroad across
27 any highway or public road, whether such crossing be at grade
28 or by overhead structure or by subway, whenever the
29 Commission finds after a hearing or without a hearing as
30 otherwise provided in this paragraph that such
31 reconstruction, alteration, relocation or improvement is
32 necessary to preserve or promote the safety or convenience of
33 the public or of the employees or passengers of such rail
34 carrier or carriers. By its original order or supplemental
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1 orders in such case, the Commission may direct such
2 reconstruction, alteration, relocation, or improvement to be
3 made in such manner and upon such terms and conditions as may
4 be reasonable and necessary and may apportion the cost of
5 such reconstruction, alteration, relocation or improvement
6 and the subsequent maintenance thereof, having regard to the
7 benefits, if any, accruing to the railroad or any party in
8 interest, between the rail carrier or carriers and public
9 utilities affected, or between such carrier or carriers and
10 public utilities and the State, county, municipality or other
11 public authority in interest. The cost to be so apportioned
12 shall include the cost of changes or alterations in the
13 equipment of public utilities affected as well as the cost of
14 the relocation, diversion or establishment of any public
15 highway, made necessary by such reconstruction, alteration,
16 relocation or improvement of said crossing. A hearing shall
17 not be required in those instances when the Commission enters
18 an order confirming a written stipulation in which the
19 Commission, the public highway authority in interest, the
20 rail carrier or carriers affected, and in instances involving
21 the use of the Grade Crossing Protection Fund, the Illinois
22 Department of Transportation, agree on the reconstruction,
23 alteration, relocation, or improvement and the subsequent
24 maintenance thereof and the division of costs of such changes
25 of any grade crossing (including the necessary highway
26 approaches thereto) of any railroad across any highway.
27 Every rail carrier operating in the State of Illinois
28 shall construct and maintain every highway crossing over its
29 tracks within the State so that the roadway at the
30 intersection shall be as flush with the rails as
31 superelevated curves will allow, and, unless otherwise
32 ordered by the Commission, shall construct and maintain the
33 approaches thereto at a grade of not more than 5% within the
34 right of way for a distance of not less the 6 feet on each
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1 side of the centerline of such tracks; provided, that the
2 grades at the approaches may be maintained in excess of 5%
3 only when authorized by the Commission.
4 Every rail carrier operating within this State shall
5 remove from its right of way at all grade crossings within
6 the State, such brush, shrubbery, and trees as is reasonably
7 practical for a distance of not less than 500 feet in either
8 direction from each grade crossing. The Commission shall have
9 power, upon its own motion, or upon complaint, and after
10 having made proper investigation, to require the installation
11 of adequate and appropriate luminous reflective warning
12 signs, luminous flashing signals, crossing gates illuminated
13 at night, or other protective devices in order to promote and
14 safeguard the health and safety of the public. Luminous
15 flashing signal or crossing gate devices installed at grade
16 crossings, which have been approved by the Commission, shall
17 be deemed adequate and appropriate. The Commission shall have
18 authority to determine the number, type, and location of such
19 signs, signals, gates, or other protective devices which,
20 however, shall conform as near as may be with generally
21 recognized national standards, and the Commission shall have
22 authority to prescribe the division of the cost of the
23 installation and subsequent maintenance of such signs,
24 signals, gates, or other protective devices between the rail
25 carrier or carriers, the public highway authority in
26 interest, and in instances involving the use of the Grade
27 Crossing Protection Fund, the Illinois Department of
28 Transportation.
29 No railroad may change or modify the warning device
30 system at a railroad-highway grade crossing, including
31 warning systems interconnected with highway traffic control
32 signals, without having first received the approval of the
33 Commission. The Commission shall have the further power,
34 upon application, upon its own motion, or upon complaint and
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1 after having made proper investigation, to require the
2 interconnection of grade crossing warning devices with
3 traffic control signals at highway intersections located at
4 or near railroad crossings within the distances described by
5 the State Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices adopted
6 pursuant to Section 11-301 of this Code. In addition, State
7 and local authorities may not install, remove, modernize, or
8 otherwise modify traffic control signals at a highway
9 intersection that is interconnected or proposed to be
10 interconnected with grade crossing warning devices when the
11 change affects the number, type, or location of traffic
12 control devices on the track approach leg or legs of the
13 intersection or the timing of the railroad preemption
14 sequence of operation until the Commission has approved the
15 installation, removal, modernization, or modification.
16 Commission approval shall be limited to consideration of
17 issues directly affecting the public safety at the
18 railroad-highway grade crossing. The electrical circuit
19 devices, alternate warning devices, and preemption sequences
20 shall conform as nearly as possible, considering the
21 particular characteristics of the crossing and intersection
22 area, to the State manual adopted by the Illinois Department
23 of Transportation pursuant to Section 11-301 of this Code and
24 such federal standards as are made applicable by subsection
25 (2) of this Section. In order to carry out this authority,
26 the Commission shall have the authority to determine the
27 number, type, and location of traffic control devices on the
28 track approach leg or legs of the intersection and the timing
29 of the railroad preemption sequence of operation. The
30 Commission shall prescribe the division of costs for
31 installation and maintenance of all devices required by this
32 paragraph between the railroad or railroads and the highway
33 authority in interest and in instances involving the use of
34 the Grade Crossing Protection Fund or a State highway, the
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1 Illinois Department of Transportation.
2 Any person who unlawfully or maliciously removes, throws
3 down, damages or defaces any sign, signal, gate or other
4 protective device, located at or near any public grade
5 crossing, shall be guilty of a petty offense and fined not
6 less than $50 nor more than $200 for each offense. In
7 addition to fines levied under the provisions of this Section
8 a person adjudged guilty hereunder may also be directed to
9 make restitution for the costs of repair or replacement, or
10 both, necessitated by his misconduct.
11 It is the public policy of the State of Illinois to
12 enhance public safety by establishing safe grade crossings.
13 In order to implement this policy, the Illinois Commerce
14 Commission is directed to conduct public hearings and to
15 adopt specific criteria by July 1, 1994, that shall be
16 adhered to by the Illinois Commerce Commission in determining
17 if a grade crossing should be opened or abolished. The
18 following factors shall be considered by the Illinois
19 Commerce Commission in developing the specific criteria for
20 opening and abolishing grade crossings:
21 (a) timetable speed of passenger trains;
22 (b) distance to an alternate crossing;
23 (c) accident history for the last 5 years;
24 (d) number of vehicular traffic and posted speed
25 limits;
26 (e) number of freight trains and their timetable
27 speeds;
28 (f) the type of warning device present at the grade
29 crossing;
30 (g) alignments of the roadway and railroad, and the
31 angle of intersection of those alignments;
32 (h) use of the grade crossing by trucks carrying
33 hazardous materials, vehicles carrying passengers for
34 hire, and school buses; and
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1 (i) use of the grade crossing by emergency
2 vehicles.
3 The Illinois Commerce Commission, upon petition to open
4 or abolish a grade crossing, shall enter an order opening or
5 abolishing the crossing if it meets the specific criteria
6 adopted by the Commission.
7 Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (3), in
8 no instance shall a grade crossing be permanently closed
9 without public hearing first being held and notice of such
10 hearing being published in an area newspaper of local general
11 circulation.
12 (4) Freight Trains - Radio Communications. The
13 Commission shall after hearing and order require that every
14 main line railroad freight train operating on main tracks
15 outside of yard limits within this State shall be equipped
16 with a radio communication system. The Commission after
17 notice and hearing may grant exemptions from the requirements
18 of this Section as to secondary and branch lines.
19 (5) Railroad Bridges and Trestles - Walkway and
20 Handrail. In cases in which the Commission finds the same to
21 be practical and necessary for safety of railroad employees,
22 bridges and trestles, over and upon which railroad trains are
23 operated, shall include as a part thereof, a safe and
24 suitable walkway and handrail on one side only of such bridge
25 or trestle, and such handrail shall be located at the outer
26 edge of the walkway and shall provide a clearance of not less
27 than 8 feet, 6 inches, from the center line of the nearest
28 track, measured at right angles thereto.
29 (6) Packages Containing Articles for First Aid to
30 Injured on Trains. All rail carriers shall provide a package
31 containing the articles prescribed by the Commission, on each
32 train or engine, for first aid to persons who may be injured
33 in the course of the operation of such trains.
34 (7) Abandoned Bridges, Crossings, and Other Rail Plant.
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1 The Commission shall have authority, after notice and
2 hearing, to order:
3 (a) The removal of any abandoned railroad tracks
4 from roads, streets or other thoroughfares in this State;
5 and
6 (b) The removal of abandoned overhead railroad
7 structures crossing highways, waterways, or railroads.
8 The Commission may equitably apportion the cost of such
9 actions between the rail carrier or carriers, public
10 utilities, and the State, county, municipality, township,
11 road district, or other public authority in interest.
12 (8) Railroad-Highway Bridge Clearance. A vertical
13 clearance of not less than 23 feet above the top of rail
14 shall be provided for all new or reconstructed highway
15 bridges constructed over a railroad track. The Commission
16 may permit a lesser clearance if it determines that the 23
17 foot clearance standard cannot be justified based on
18 engineering, operational, and economic conditions.
19 (Source: P.A. 89-699, eff. 1-16-97; 90-691, eff. 1-1-99.)
20 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21 becoming law.
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