SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 6512

                    AS OF FEBRUARY 7, 1994

Brief Description:  Restricting the ringing of bells or sounding of whistles on locomotives.

SPONSORS: Senator Owen

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Staff:  Jeff Doyle (786‑7322)

Hearing Dates: February 7, 1994

BACKGROUND:

Under current Washington law, it is a misdemeanor for an engineer driving a locomotive to fail to ring the bell or sound the whistle when at least 80 rods (1/4 mile) from a railroad crossing.  There is no federal law requiring that train whistles or bells be sounded.

Locomotives traveling within cities are exempt from this law.

SUMMARY:

Counties may adopt ordinances restricting the sounding of locomotive whistles at gated railroad crossings within urban areas.  The U.S. Census Bureau defines an "urban area" as any urban place having a population of more than 2,500.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested