San Clemente's Hopes for Quieter Pedestrian RR Crossings Dashed

The California Supreme Court will not hear the appeal San Clemente, county transportation and state officials were wanting so they could install audible warning systems at the ground level of the city’s pedestrian train crossings near the beach.

The city and Orange County Transportation Authority officials had worked to create safer access to the beaches by building pedestrian crossings. The plan was to install an audible warning system for those on foot so the trains wouldn’t have to blow their horns as they traversed all seven crossings. They sought permission from the California Public Utilities Commission.

But freight train company BNSF Railway sought to derail the plans, arguing the PUC doesn’t get a say on federal regulations. An appeals court agreed in August and last week, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

“The city will pursue other alternative approaches to bring peace and quiet to coastal residents and the million plus annual recreational users of the trail,” according to a city news release.

These include:

• Determine whether the Pier Bowl crossing can be designated as a public vehicular crossing to extend the Federal Safety Quiet Zone from its current terminus at North Beach in San Clemente.

• Seek State legislation that would establish pedestrian at-grade quiet zones, by law, to avoid having to go to the PUC at all.

• Continue to explore the potential to establish a quiet zone to Oceanside which would allow the remaining at-grade crossings in San Clemente to qualify for a federal safety quiet zone.

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