SAN BERNADINO, Calif. — Summit Valley residents who use a private road to cross railroad tracks near their homes are upset because soon it will be closed forever, adding 20 minutes to some commutes and decreasing property values, the San Bernardino County Sun reported.
The state Public Utilities Commission ruled recently that Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. had the right to close the railroad crossing, dubbed Post Office Road or Summit Truck Trail. Company officials plan to close it soon.
“The crossing is a private road for our employees to use,’ said spokeswoman Lena Kent. “There are no warning devices and it is a rugged, dirt road people started using to get across our tracks.’
About 10 years ago, a woman was killed when a train struck her while she was crossing the tracks at the road, Kent said. Railroad officials closed the crossing but were ordered by the PUC in June to reopen it pending the final ruling, Kent said. The PUC also gave San Bernardino County officials 90 days to decide if they wanted to make it a public road.
Kent said the deadline for the county to make a decision was Sept. 19, “but the county has not contacted us and decided not to take it on,’ Kent said. “The road is still open and we have not determined the closing date. Once it’s closed, it will be closed permanently.’
First District Supervisor Bill Postmus is sending letters to residents affected by the closure. The letter states four reasons why the county could not develop the crossing:
1. About 96 vehicles pass through the crossing daily;
2. The rugged terrain will cause engineering costs to soar;
3. Since the trail also crosses Union Pacific’s parallel tracks, it would require twice as much signaling. Combined with engineering problems, the total cost could reach $2 million and
4. The trail crosses through San Bernardino National Forest land and other private property and could raise costly environmental concerns.
Community activist and local resident Kathy Van Natta said most of her neighbors in the area own upscale homes on 2.5-acre lots and many commute to work across the tracks to Highway 138 and Interstate 15.
Van Natta, who lives 500 yards north of the crossing, said she had a medical emergency in January when the tracks were still blocked and it took emergency crews 8 additional minutes to get to her home.
People also use the road as an emergency detour when brush fires, inclement weather or traffic accidents close I-15.
“It will take me 20 minutes extra to get home. I don’t mind that, that’s no problem,’ Van Natta said. “But most accidents and incidents happen between Oak Hills and (Highway) 138 so when fire or traffic piles up we use that to go down. It is a detour way to get up here.’
She spoke with Postmus about getting some signs warning people the crossing is closed.
Van Natta said the crossing could be left open if railroad officials invested a small sum to build warning signals.
“If they just put proper signage and swing arms like at Rancheros (Road), that way people can get in and out,’ Van Natta said. “It is a road that goes somewhere. It serves two communities.’