DOCKET NO. TR-970483 Page 1



BEFORE THE WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION


THE BURLINGTON NORTHERN AND  ) 
SANTA FE RAILWAY CO.   )  
      ) DOCKET NO.  TR-970483
      )
  Petitioner,   ) ORDER GRANTING PETITION
      ) TO UPGRADE RAILROAD       ) SIGNALS ON
          )     216TH AVENUE SE CROSSING                )
KING COUNTY    )
      ) WUTC 1D 91.53
  Respondent.   ) DOT 85-233G
      )
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  )


 By petition filed with the Commission on May 7, 1997, The Burlington Northern 
and Santa Fe Railway Co. seeks authority for the upgrade of the rail-road 
warning devices on a railroad crossing.  The location is the highway-railway 
crossing at grade at the inter-section of 216th Avenue SE and petitioner's 
track, desig-nated as WUTC Grade Crossing No.1D 91.53 and located in NE 1/4 of 
the SW 1/4 of Section 33, Township 22 N., Range 6E., W.M., in King County, 
Washington.  Funding is pursuant to an agreement between the parties.
 
 Respondent has consented to the entry of an order by the Commission without 
further notice or hearing.

 In the vicinity of the cross-ing, 216th Avenue SE is a two lane, two way road. 
The legal posted vehicle speed limit is 40 mph for all vehicles.

 Petitioner maintains one mainline track at the cross-ing.  Eight trains use 
the crossing daily.  Legal or operating maximum train speed at the crossing is 
40 mph for all trains.

 -Petitioner proposes upgrading the warning devices by upgrading the existing 
automatic shoulder mounted flashing light traffic control devices by installing 
lights with 12 inch lenses, by installing gates and upgrading train activation 
devices. 

 The Commission staff has investigated the petition and has recommended that 
the petition be approved, subject to speci-fied conditions.


 The Commissioners, having reviewed the petition and being fully advised in the 
matter, believe that granting the petition, subject to the conditions set forth 
below, is in the public interest.

       O R D E R


 WHEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the petition of The Burlington Northern 
and Santa Fe Railway Co. for authority to upgrade the railroad signals at the 
above-described crossing shall be, and the same is hereby, granted; subject to 
the following minimum conditions:

 1.  The crossing shall be planked or hard-surfaced between the rails for a 
distance of one foot outside each rail for the full width of the traveled 
roadway, including the shoulders.  The surface of the roadway and the top of 
the rails shall be the same elevation. 

 2.  A 25-foot level grade in the highway shall be provided on each side of the 
centerline of the railway at the crossing.

 3.  The approaches to the level crown of the roadway at the crossing shall be 
constructed with grades not exceeding 5 percent.

 4.  Shoulder-mounted flashing light signals, back-to-back with 12" lenses, 
operated by train activated devices, shall be installed in the right approach 
quadrant on each side of the crossing in accordance with the U.S. Department of 
Transportation Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Part VIII - “Traffic 
Control Systems for Railroad-Highway Grade Crossings.”
          
 5.  Automatic gates shall be installed in the right ap-proach quadrant on each 
side of the crossing.

 6.  Installation shall be performed by the petitioner at its cost.

 7.  Standard reflectorized cross-buck signs shall be in-stalled 15 feet from 
the outside rail in the right approach quadrant on each side of the crossing.  

 8.  All devices shall be erected in such manner as to provide required 
clearances for both rail and vehicular traffic.

 9.  The signals shall be constructed in accordance with all specifications 
accompanying the petition filed in this matter.



 DATED at Olympia, Washington, and effective this 5th day of September, 1997.


  WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION



      RICHARD HEMSTAD, Commissioner



      WILLIAM R. GILLIS, Commissioner