HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES NO 97-96RESOLUTION NO. ~ 7 '" 9 6
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
BAKERSFIELD IN OPPOSITION TO REPEAL OF SECTION
190 OF STREETS AND HIGHWAYS CODE (SENATE BILL
1505).
WHEREAS, City of Bakersfield, County of Kern, is bisected by two major
railroad lines, the Main Line of the Southern Pacific and the Main Line of The Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe; and
WHEREAS, the urban Bakersfield area and other cities and communities within
Kern County contain many dangerous at-grade crossings of these two major railroad lines,
subjecting the citizens of the City of Bakersfield to blocking delays, traffic congestion and crossing
accidents; and
WHEREAS, for more than 40 years, as part of the State Separation of Grade
Program, the public Utilities Commission has ranked separation of grade projects throughout the
State of California most urgently in need of construction according to a scientific cost/benefit
formula; and
WHEREAS, for more than 40 years, the California Transportation Commission
has allocated State Highway Fund monies appropriated annually pursuant to Section 190 of the
Streets & Highways Code for the construction of the most urgently needed grade separation
projects throughout the State, as determined by the Public Utilities Commission; and
WHEREAS, over the last 40 years, many dangerous at-grade railroad crossings
have been eliminated in the greater Bakersfield area thanks to the Separation of Grade Program,
including
Beale Avenue at the Southern Pacific;
Chester Avenue at the AT&SF;
Chester Avenue at the Southern Pacific;
Truxtun Avenue at the AT&SF;
Union Avenue at the Southern Pacific;
H Street at the AT&SF;
Fairfax Road at the Southern Pacific;
Oswell Street at the Southern Pacific; and
WHEREAS, construction has commenced on the Coffee Road Overpass at the
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF), a project which received an initial allocation of $3.2
million under the State Separation of Grade Program; and
Page I of 3
WHEREAS, the County of Kern next year will commence construction of the Oak
Creek Road Overpass of the Southern Pacific in Mojave, another project funded in part with funds
appropriated under Streets & Highways Code section 190; and
WHEREAS, the Greater Bakersfield Separation of Grade District in cooperation
with the City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern has nominated a number of additional
separation of grade projects for priority ranking by the Public Utilities Commission, including
Baker Street at East Truxtun;
Morning Drive;
Seventh Standard Road;
Calloway Drive;
Q Street;
Olive Drive,
and additional projects will be nominated in the future as growth accelerates in the Bakersfield
area; and
WHEREAS, many other communities in Kern County also have dangerous
at-grade crossings which may qualify for funding by the State Separation of Grade Program in the
future; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1505 (SB 1505) under consideration in the State
Legislature proposes to reform the process by which transportation funds are allocated; and
WHEREAS, the CITY OF BAKERSFIELD concurs with many of the reforms
proposed by SB 1505, however, section 60 of SB 1505 would repeal section 190 of the Streets &
Highways Code, thus removing the source of funding for the State Separation of Grade program;
and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of
Bakersfield as follows:
1. The above recitals are true and correct.
2. The continued funding of the State Separation of Grade Program through
annual appropriations made under Streets & Highways Code section 190 is essential to the current
and future safety and welfare of the citizens of the City of Bakersfield, County of Kern, State of
California; and
3. The City Council opposes SB 1505 so long as section 60, repealing Streets
& Highways Code section 190, remains in the bill; and
4. The City Council requests that SB 1505 be amended by eliminating section
60 from such bill, thereby retaining section 190 of the Streets & Highways Code; and
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5. The City Council of the City of Bakersfield authorizes and directs that
certified copies of this Resolution be provided to all members of the State Legislature from Kern
County, as well as to the Chairman and other members of the Assembly Appropriations
Committee in a timely fashion so that this Resolution be considered in opposition to SB 1505 to
repeal of section 190 of Streets & Highways Code
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by
the Council of the City of Bakersfield at a regular meeting thereof held on
'.I, IJC 2 I t0~ , by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBER DEMON[}, CARSON, ~, McDERMOTT, ROWLES, SUU.IVAN, SALVAGGIO
NOES: COUNC,LMEMBER ~._~[q V~J-
ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBER ~...~
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBER
ACTING CITY CLERK and E~fficio
Clerk of the City Council of the
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
APPROVED A06 ~ ! ~
MAYOR of the City of Bakersfield
APPROVED as to form:
JUDY K. SKOUSEN
City Attorney
Assistant City Attorney
for the City of Bakersfield