The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Subchapter
002
:
CROSSING HIGHWAYS
(Cite as: 5 V.S.A. § 3593)
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§ 3593. Partial reimbursement of crossing maintenance costs; crossing surfaces
(a) Definitions. As used in this section:
(1) “Public rail-highway crossings” means at-grade crossings determined by the Agency
to be active public crossings. Public crossings shall not include crossings on railroad
lines that have been abandoned or embargoed.
(2) “Active warning devices” means flashing lights, signals, automatic gates, or manually
operated gates.
(b) Reimbursement. To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose by the General Assembly, the
Agency shall reimburse railroads up to $2,000.00 annually for the maintenance of each
public rail-highway crossing equipped with flashing light signals and $2,500.00 annually
for the maintenance of each crossing equipped with automatic or manually-operated
gates. Any reimbursement under this subsection shall be reduced by any amount that
a municipality or some other third party is separately required to contribute to the
railroad’s cost of maintaining active warning devices at a public rail-highway crossing,
whether because of some contractual obligation or because of a regulatory order entered
by the Transportation Board or one of its predecessor agencies.
(c) Failure of railroad to perform maintenance. Payment to any railroad may be made contingent on the railroad’s performing inspection
and maintenance of active warning devices in accordance with regulations promulgated
by the Federal Railroad Administration.
(d) Maintenance of crossing surface. The Agency shall be responsible for maintenance, repair, replacement, and installation
of highway surfaces at public rail-highway crossings.
(e) Quiet zones; special agreements. Notwithstanding this section, the Agency may enter into special agreements to reimburse
a railroad for inspecting and maintaining signals and related equipment at crossings
that have been specially designated as “quiet zones” pursuant to section 3582 of this title.
(f) Rulemaking. The Secretary may adopt rules to implement this program. (Added 1999, No. 18, § 8, eff. May 13, 1999; amended 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 35, eff. July 1, 2022.)