553.07 MAINTAINING RAILROAD CROSSINGS.

   The owner or operator of every railroad, and abutting owners being served by spur railroad tracks, the track or tracks of which cross a street of the City at a grade, are hereby required to lay and maintain a suitable crossing at the street so crossed; such crossing to be paved with steel rails laid parallel with the tracks for the full width of the street from curb line to curb line and extending between rails and two feet on either side of the rails, such rails to be filled with asphalt or other suitable material specified by the Director of Public Works, or in lieu of the above, to install removable reinforced concrete slabs resting on the ties, or in lieu of such types of constructions, bituminous concrete construction, the crossing rails and other material to be laid flush with the surface of the track rails so as to at all times afford a good smooth and level crossing so as to admit of safe and speedy travel over the same; provided that where any existing crossing in the opinion of the Director of Public Works is of suitable material and safe and satisfactory, such owner, operator or abutting owner of the railroad tracks shall be permitted to maintain such crossing until it requires extensive repairs or rebuilding, when it shall be rebuilt as herein provided.

   The Director of Public Works shall have power to designate the crossings of the streets where little traffic exists and when so designated it shall not be necessary to install such rail crossings or concrete, but the same shall be paved with other material and in a manner satisfactory to the Director.

   Wherever more than one track crosses a street and the nearest rails of the tracks are less than fifteen feet apart, the paving or material required shall extend between the tracks as well as between the rails and two feet outside the outermost rails.

   The owner or operator of every railroad, and the abutting owner being served by spur railroad tracks, shall also lay and provide safe sidewalks of asphalt or concrete or bituminous concrete to be laid between the curb lines and property lines for the full width of the right of way.    The Director of Public Works shall have power to designate crossings with little pedestrian traffic, and when so designated, it shall not be necessary to lay sidewalks.

(Ord. 4875. Passed 9-15-48.)