Kan. Stat. Ann. § 68-414
12-1633. Railways and street railways; crossings; construction of viaducts or tunnels; regulation of speed; appraisement and payment of damages; liens; actions; penalties
The governing body of cities of the first and second class shall have the power to regulate the crossings of railway and street-railway tracks and provide precautions and adopt ordinances regulating the same; to regulate the running of street railways or cars and to adopt ordinances relating thereto and to govern the speed thereof; to regulate the running of railway engines and cars, except speed, and to adopt ordinances relating thereto; and to make other and further provisions, rules and regulations to prevent accidents at crossings and on tracks of railways, and to prevent fires from engines, and to require all railway companies to erect viaducts over or tunnels under their tracks at the crossings of streets.
From and after the effective date of this act, that part or parts of any rule, regulation or ordinance adopted pursuant to this section regulating the speed of railway engines and cars shall not be of any force or effect, and that part or parts shall be and are hereby declared null and void.
The governing body shall have power to require any railroad company or companies owning or operating any railroad or street-railway track or tracks upon or across any public street or streets of the city to erect, construct, reconstruct, complete and keep in repair any viaduct or viaducts upon or over or tunnels under such street or streets and over or under any such track or tracks, including the approaches of such viaduct, viaducts or tunnels as may be deemed and declared by the governing body to be necessary for the convenience, safety or protection of the public. Whenever any such viaduct shall be deemed and declared by ordinance to be necessary for the convenience, safety or protection of the public, the governing body shall provide for appraising, assessing and determining the damage, if any, which may be caused to any property by reason of the construction of such viaduct and its approaches. The proceedings for such purpose shall be the same as provided by law for the purpose of ascertaining and determining damages to property owners by reason of the change in grade of any street, except that such damage shall be paid by such railway company or companies. The amount of damage thus ascertained and awarded shall, upon notice by the city, be promptly paid by the railway company or companies interested and if any such company shall fail to pay the same within 10 days from receipt of notice of the amount thereof, then the amount so awarded shall become a lien in the proportion to the amount each railway company shall pay, if more than one company is concerned, upon the right-of-way and all property of such railway company and the collection may be enforced by the city in an action against such railway company or companies failing to pay. The width, height and strength of any such viaduct or tunnel and the approaches thereto, the material to be used, and the manner of construction, shall be as required by the governing body.
When two or more railroad companies own or operate separate lines of track to be crossed by any such viaduct, either upon, above or below the grade, or where any street-railway company intersects and crosses the track or tracks of any railroad company, the proportion thereof and of the approaches thereto to be constructed by each, and the proportion of cost to be borne by each, shall be determined by the governing body. It shall be the duty of any railroad company or companies or street-railway company, upon being required, as herein provided, to erect, construct, reconstruct or repair any viaduct or tunnel, to proceed, within the time and in the manner required by the governing body, to erect, construct, reconstruct or repair the same, and it shall be a nonperson misdemeanor for any railroad company or companies or street-railway company to fail, neglect or refuse to perform such duty, and upon conviction, any such company or companies or the superintendent or other officer having charge of such railway company or street railway in the district or division where such viaduct or tunnel is to be erected or repaired, shall be fined $100, or imprisoned in the county jail not less than 30 days, and each day such companies or officers shall fail, neglect or refuse to perform such duty shall be deemed and held a separate offense; and in addition to the penalty herein provided any such company or companies shall be compelled by mandamus or other appropriate proceedings to erect, construct, reconstruct, or repair any viaduct or tunnel as may be required by ordinance as herein provided.
The governing body shall also have power, whenever any railroad company or companies or street-railway companies shall fail, neglect or refuse to erect, construct or reconstruct or repair any viaduct, viaducts or tunnel, after having been required so to do as herein provided, to proceed with the erection, construction, reconstruction or repair of the same by contract or in such other manner as may be provided by ordinance and assess the cost thereof against the property of such railroad company or companies or street-railway company, and such cost shall be a valid and subsisting lien against such property, and also shall be a legal indebtedness of such company or companies in favor of such city, and may be enforced and collected by suit in any court having jurisdiction.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 12-1633
Blocked Crossings
State Laws, Regulations, and Penalties
66-273. Permitting trains, engines or cars to stand on public highway
Each and every railroad company or any corporation leasing or otherwise operating a railroad in Kansas is hereby prohibited from allowing its trains, engines or cars to stand upon any public road within one half mile of any incorporated or unincorporated city or town, station or flag station, or upon any crossing or street, to exceed ten minutes at any one time without leaving an opening in the traveled portion of the public road, street or crossing of at least thirty feet in width.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-273
66-274. Same; penalty; exemption of railroad employees from certain penalties
Any railroad company or corporation operating a line of railroad in Kansas failing or neglecting to comply with K.S.A. 66-273, and amendments thereto, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine as follows: One hundred dollars if the blocking is for more than 10 minutes but less than 20 minutes; $300 if the blocking is for more than 20 minutes but less than 30 minutes; $600 if the blocking is for 30 minutes and $600 for each additional 30 minutes if the blocking is for more than 30 minutes. No member of a railroad train, yard, or engine crew shall be held personally responsible or found guilty of violating any state laws or any municipal ordinances regulating or intended to regulate the occupying or blocking of any street, road or highway crossing-at-grade by trains or passenger or freight cars upon reasonable proof that such person’s action was necessary due to circumstances beyond such person’s control, or to comply with the order or instructions, either written or verbal, of the person’s employer or officers or supervisory officials. Nothing in this section shall relieve the employer or railroad from any responsibility placed upon such employer or railroad by any such state law or any municipal ordinance.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-274
Warning Devices-Passive
State Laws and Regulations
8-1552. Designation of dangerous railroad grade crossings; vehicles required to stop, when
The secretary of transportation and local authorities, with the approval of the secretary, are hereby authorized to designate particularly dangerous highway grade crossings of railroads and to erect stop signs thereat. When such stop signs are erected, the driver of any vehicle shall stop within fifty (50) feet but not less than fifteen (15) feet from the nearest rail of such railroad and shall proceed only upon exercising due care.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-1552
8-2002. Powers of local authorities
(a) The provisions of this act shall not be deemed to prevent local authorities with respect to streets and highways under their jurisdiction and within the reasonable exercise of the police power from:
(1) Regulating or prohibiting stopping, standing or parking;
(2) regulating traffic by means of police officers or official traffic-control devices;
(3) regulating or prohibiting processions or assemblages on the highways;
(4) designating particular highways or roadways for use by traffic moving in one direction as authorized in K.S.A. 8-1521, and amendments thereto;
(5) establishing speed limits for vehicles in public parks notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(3) of K.S.A. 8-1560, and amendments thereto;
(6) designating any highway as a through highway or designating any intersection or junction of roadways as a stop or yield intersection or junction;
(7) restricting the use of highways as authorized in K.S.A. 8-1912, and amendments thereto;
(8) regulating the operation of bicycles and requiring the registration and inspection of same, including the requirement of a registration fee;
(9) regulating or prohibiting the turning of vehicles or specified types of vehicles;
(10) altering or establishing speed limits as authorized in K.S.A. 8-1560, and amendments thereto;
(11) establish school zones as provided in subsection (a)(4) of K.S.A. 8-1560, and amendments thereto;
(12) designating no-passing zones as authorized in K.S.A. 8-1520, and amendments thereto;
(13) prohibiting or regulating the use of controlled-access roadways by any class or kind of traffic as authorized in K.S.A. 8-1525, and amendments thereto;
(14) prohibiting or regulating the use of heavily traveled streets by any class or kind of traffic found to be incompatible with the normal and safe movement of traffic;
(15) establishing minimum speed limits as authorized in subsection (b) of K.S.A. 8-1561, and amendments thereto;
(16) designating hazardous railroad grade crossings as authorized in K.S.A. 8-1552, and amendments thereto;
(17) designating and regulating traffic on play streets;
(18) prohibiting pedestrians from crossing a roadway in a business district or any designated highway except in a crosswalk as authorized in K.S.A. 8-2006, and amendments thereto;
(19) restricting pedestrian crossings at unmarked crosswalks as authorized in K.S.A. 8-2007, and amendments thereto;
(20) regulating persons propelling push carts;
(21) regulating persons upon skates, coasters, sleds and other toy vehicles;
(22) adopting and enforcing such temporary or experimental regulations as may be necessary to cover emergencies or special conditions;
(23) adopting such other traffic regulations as are specifically authorized by this act.
(b) No local authority shall erect or maintain any official traffic-control device at any location so as to require the traffic on any state highway to stop before entering or crossing any intersecting highway unless approval in writing has first been obtained from the secretary of transportation.
(c) No ordinance, resolution or regulation enacted under paragraph (4), (5), (6), (7), (9), (10), (12), (13), (14), (16), (17) or (19) of subsection (a) of this section shall be effective until official traffic-control devices giving notice of such local traffic regulations are erected upon or at the entrances to the highway or part thereof affected as may be most appropriate.
(d) No ordinance, resolution or regulation enacted under paragraph (5), (10) or (22) shall establish a speed limit in excess of the speed limit established by or pursuant to subsection (a) of K.S.A. 8-1558, and amendments thereto, or paragraph (2) of subsection (a) or subsection (b) of K.S.A. 8-1560, and amendments thereto.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-2002
66-2,121. Railroad-highway crossing signs; specifications
Every railway corporation shall cause railroad-highway crossing signs in the form of a crossbuck to be erected, well supported by posts or otherwise, alone or in combination with other protective devices, and constantly maintained on the right-hand side of the traveled public road or street, on each approach to the crossing when the same is crossed by the railway on the same level. Said railroad-highway crossing signs shall be elevated so that they may be easily seen by travelers. Each side of a railroad-highway sign shall be a white reflectorized background, with the words “RAILROAD CROSSING” in black lettering. When crossbuck signs are a part of a flashing light signal assembly, such signs and assemblies shall conform to the manual and specifications adopted by the secretary of transportation pursuant to K.S.A. 8-2003. If any such crossing consists of two or more tracks, including sidings, the number of tracks shall be indicated on an auxiliary sign of inverted T-shape, mounted below the railroad-highway crossing sign. Said auxiliary sign shall be of white reflectorized background, with black lettering. This section shall not apply to streets in cities, unless the railway corporation shall be required to put up such railroad-highway crossing signs by the governing body of such city, or the officer thereof having charge of such streets.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-2,121
Warning Devices- Train Borne
State Laws, Regulations, and Penalties
66-2,120. Failure of locomotive to sound whistle at crossing; penalties; payment to informer
An air whistle shall be attached to each locomotive engine, and shall be sounded four (4) times (two long, one short and one long blast) beginning at least eighty (80) rods from the place where the railroad shall cross any public road or street and to be prolonged or repeated until the crossing is occupied by the engine or car, except in cities and villages, under a penalty of not more than twenty dollars ($20) for every neglect of the provisions of this section, to be paid by the corporation owning the railway on the suit of the county attorney, one-half thereof to go to the informer, and the other half to the county treasurer; and the corporation shall also be liable for all damages which shall be sustained by any person by reason of such neglect: Provided, however, That such penalty shall be sued for within one (1) month from the time the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: And provided further, That but one penalty shall be recovered in any one action.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-2,120
Warning Devices- Active
State Laws and Regulations
No applicable statute related to this topic.
Private Crossings
State Laws and Regulations
66-301. Construction of farm crossings
Whenever any railroad, either steam or electric, shall run through any farm so as to divide it, such railroad at the request of the owner of such farm, shall construct, keep and maintain, a crossing either on, over or under such railroad track, at some convenient place, which crossing shall be so constructed as to permit ready and free crossing thereon, by animals, farm implements and vehicles.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-301
66-303. Action to compel construction; owner may construct and collect costs
If upon such request being made, such railroad shall fail, neglect or refuse to construct such crossing and gates, or to keep the same in repair, then the owner of such farm may, by appropriate action, compel such railroad to so construct, keep and maintain such crossing and gates, or such owner may construct or repair such crossing and gates, and then collect from such railroad the cost thereof.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 66-303
Vegetation Clearance
State Laws, Regulations, and Penalties
19-2612. Removal or cutting of hedge fences, trees and shrubs; cutting weeds; removing signboards and board fences; expenses
The board of county commissioners of each county in the state are authorized to cut all hedge fences, trees and shrubs growing upon the highway right of way or on right of way boundary, within three hundred fifty (350) feet of a railroad grade crossing or abrupt corner in the highway, and thereafter keep the same trimmed to provide clear vision, and to cut all weeds in the highways and thereafter keep the same cut so that the same shall not at any time be allowed to grow to a height obstructing clear vision; to remove all signboards, billboards, and board fences obstructing clear vision within three hundred fifty (350) feet of any such railroad crossing or abrupt corner in the highway: Provided, That nothing in this act shall apply to signs placed by any county or state association for the purpose of imparting historical information or traveling directions: Provided, however, That the board of county commissioners of any county in this state are hereby authorized to cause the removal of any hedge along any road in their respective counties, when in their judgment they, having first made suitable investigation of conditions, such hedge should be removed. The county may pay all expenses incident to removing such hedge out of the state and county road fund when applied to state and county roads and out of the county and township road fund when applied to county and township roads.
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 19-2612
