In prescribing the proportions in which the expense of construction, reconstruction, alteration, or relocation of grade separations shall be divided between railroad or street railroad corporations and public agencies, in proceedings under Section 1202, the commission, unless otherwise provided in this section, shall be governed by the following standards:
(a) Where a grade separation project, whether initiated by a public agency or a railroad, will not result in the elimination of an existing grade crossing, located at or within a reasonable distance from the point of crossing of the grade separation, the commission shall require the public agency or railroad applying for authorization to construct such grade separation to pay the entire cost.
(b) Where a grade separation project initiated by a public agency will directly result in the elimination of one or more existing grade crossings, located at or within a reasonable distance from the point of crossing of the grade separation, the commission shall apportion against the railroad 10 percent of the cost of the project. The remainder of such costs shall be apportioned against the public agency or agencies affected by such grade separation.
(c) Where a grade separation project initiated by a railroad will directly result in the elimination of an existing grade crossing, located at or within a reasonable distance from the point of crossing of the grade separation, the commission shall apportion 10 percent of the cost, attributable to the presence of the highway facilities, against the public agency or agencies affected by the project, and the remainder thereof to the railroad or railroads applying for authorization to construct such grade separation.
(d) Where the project consists of an alteration or reconstruction of an existing grade separation for the purpose of increasing the capacity of the structure for highway purposes, the commission shall apportion 10 percent of the cost against the railroad and the balance against the public agency or agencies affected by the grade separation. There shall be no apportionment of cost to the railroad if it did not bear any of the cost of the original project, in which case the public agency or agencies shall pay 100 percent of the cost of the alteration or reconstruction of the grade separation. An allocation of funds set aside pursuant to Section 190 of the Streets and Highways Code may be made for such a project notwithstanding subdivision (d) of Section 2454 of the Streets and Highways Code.
Where the project consists of an alteration or reconstruction of an existing grade separation for the purpose of increasing the capacity of the structure for railway purposes, the commission shall apportion 10 percent of the cost against the public agency or agencies affected and the balance against the railroad applying for authorization to alter or reconstruct the grade separation. There shall be no apportionment of cost to the public agency or agencies if the agency or agencies did not bear any of the cost of the original project, in which case the railroad shall pay 100 percent of the cost of the alteration or reconstruction of the grade separation.
(e) In the event the commission finds that a particular project does not clearly fall within the provisions of any one of the above categories, the commission shall make a specific finding of fact on the relation of the project to each of the categories, and in apportioning the costs, it shall assess against the railroad a reasonable percentage, if any, of the cost not exceeding the percentage specified in subdivision (b), dependent on the findings of the commission with respect to the relation of the project to each category. The remainder of such cost shall be apportioned against the public agency or agencies affected by the project.
(f) In the event the commission finds that the respective shares of any apportionment should be divided between two or more railroads or two or more public agencies, the commission, to the extent that it has jurisdiction to do so in a particular proceeding before it, shall divide the shares between the railroads or the public agencies, or both, on any reasonable basis, to be decided by the commission, but in so doing shall follow the standards hereinabove prescribed for apportionment between railroads and public agencies, respectively.
(g) The standards herein prescribed for apportionment of costs of grade separations shall not be applicable where federal funds are used. On such projects, the apportionments shall be in accordance with federal law and the rules, regulations, and orders of the federal agency administering such law, where applicable.
(h) No provision of this section or of the Public Utilities Code shall be construed as in any way limiting the right of public agencies or railroads to negotiate agreements apportioning costs of grade separations, and the validity of any and all such agreements is hereby recognized for all purposes regardless whether the method of apportionment prescribed therein conforms to the standards hereinabove prescribed.
As used in this section “public agency” includes a separation of grade district, as well as the state, a county, city, or other political subdivision.
(Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 1035, Sec. 1.)