(a) For the purposes of this section, “private crossing” means any private way, private drive or any facility other than a public highway for the use of pedestrians, motor vehicles or other types of conveyances, which crosses at grade any railroad track. No private crossing shall be established, except that the Commissioner of Transportation may authorize the establishment of a private crossing if it is deemed necessary for the economic welfare of the community but only after imposing specific requirements for the protection of persons using the crossing. The cost of the protection requirements shall be borne by the party requesting such private crossing or the town, city or borough in which such crossing is located may, in its discretion, assume all or part of such cost. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a private crossing used by a railroad company in connection with its operation or for access to its facilities.

(b) Each town, city or borough shall erect and maintain traffic control devices within the limits of the railroad right-of-way at each private crossing, or each town, city or borough shall require the person, association or corporation that owns or has the right to use such crossing to erect and maintain such traffic control devices at each private crossing. Such order shall specify the time within which such protective measures shall be installed. Upon failure of a person, association or corporation to comply with an order issued pursuant to this subsection, the required installation shall be made by the authority issuing such order and the expense of such installation shall be a lien on premises owned by such person, association or corporation. If under the provisions of subsection (d) of this section the Commissioner of Transportation orders the erection of traffic control devices at a private crossing and the town, city or borough within which such crossing is located fails to erect or have erected such devices within the period prescribed in such order, the Commissioner of Transportation shall order the railroad to erect such devices and the expense of such erection shall be a lien on premises owned by the person, association or corporation that owns or has the right to use such crossing. If the Commissioner of Transportation prescribes traffic control measures in addition to traffic control devices, the town, city or borough shall invoke the provisions of this subsection for the purpose of complying with such order, and the cost of such compliance shall be borne by the property owner.

(c) The town, city or borough within which any private way leads to a private crossing from a town, city or borough highway, and the Commissioner of Transportation, in the case of any private way which leads to a private crossing from a state highway, shall erect and maintain at the entrance to such private way a suitable sign warning of the railroad grade crossing.

(d) The Commissioner of Transportation shall give notice of the commissioner's intent to (1) prescribe or order traffic control devices or traffic control measures under subsection (a) or (b) of this section; (2) afford any person an opportunity to present evidence on the impact; (3) render findings of fact; and (4) issue a decision before prescribing the nature of traffic control devices and traffic control measures to be erected at each private crossing and at approaches to such private crossings. The commissioner's decision shall not constitute a final decision in a contested case and shall not be subject to appeal under section 4-183.

(e) The Commissioner of Transportation shall make all necessary orders for the closing of any private crossing if the commissioner finds that the necessity for such crossing has ceased or that such private crossing constitutes a hazard to public safety. The commissioner shall (1) give notice of intent to issue such orders; (2) afford any person an opportunity to present evidence on the impact of such orders; (3) render findings of fact; and (4) issue a decision before making all necessary orders for the permanent closing of any private crossing if the commissioner finds that the necessity for such crossing has ceased or that such private crossing constitutes a hazard to public safety. The commissioner's decision shall not constitute a final decision in a contested case and shall not be subject to appeal under section 4-183. The commissioner may order the consolidation into one crossing of two or more private crossings located in close proximity to each other.

(f) The provisions of section 13b-281 shall apply to private crossings.

(g) Representatives of towns, cities, boroughs, railroads and state agencies may enter private ways, drives or other facilities to the extent required to perform their duties pursuant to this section.

(h) Any person who fails to comply with traffic control measures or traffic control devices installed pursuant to this section shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.

(1961, P.A. 513; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 222; P.A. 75-486, S. 1, 69; P.A. 77-614, S. 571, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 03-115, S. 74; P.A. 12-132, S. 12.)

History: 1969 act substituted in Subsec. (c) “commissioner of transportation” for “state highway commissioner”; P.A. 75-486 substituted “public utilities control authority” for “public utilities commission” and “authority” for “commission” where appearing, effective December 1, 1975; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 substituted “commissioner of transportation” for “public utilities control authority” where appearing and “commissioner” for “authority” in Subsec. (e), effective January 1, 1979; in 1981 Sec. 16-119a transferred to Sec. 13b-292; P.A. 03-115 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a), (b), (d), (e) and (g); P.A. 12-132 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “meeting such” with “the” re cost of protection requirements, amended Subsec. (b) by deleting provisions re State Traffic Commission, replacing “within one hundred eighty days of such order” with “within the period prescribed in such order”, deleting provisions re costs borne by the town, city or borough, the state and the railroad, and making conforming changes, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provision re State Traffic Commission and adding provisions re notice of commissioner's intent to take actions set forth in Subdivs. (1) to (4) and re commissioner's decision not to constitute a contested case final decision, amended Subsec. (e) by adding Subdivs. (1) to (4) re commissioner's duties with respect to closing orders and adding provision re commissioner's decision not to constitute a contested case final decision, and amended Subsec. (h) by adding “or traffic control devices”, effective July 1, 2012.

Annotations to former section 16-119a:

Test under section is whether in fact at the time of examination the road is other than a public highway; regardless of its early history, the record supports the conclusion the road in dispute is now a public highway. 154 C. 674.

Subsec. (b):

Municipality not liable to individual for failure to maintain traffic control device. 25 CS 124.

Annotation to present section:

Cited. 33 CA 775.