Dorsey High School Crossing: Go At-Grade, Says CPUC Officer

While the state commission will make the final decision next month, a California Public Utilities Commission officer tentatively OK'd the controversial Expo Line street-level crossing option for the Dorsey High School, reports the Los Angeles Times. Here's a PDF of the decision (download it here) and here's Administrative Law Judge Maribeth A. Bushey: "The opposing parties contend that only a grade-separated crossing is safe. As set forth below, we have fully analyzed this contention in accord with our seven criteria for evaluating at-grade crossings and concluded that, on balance, the proposed Farmdale station and at-grade crossing offers pedestrians a safer crossing than the pedestrian overcrossing alternative." Fix Expo's Damien Goodmon tells the Times that the "commission has pulled out its rubber stamp and doesn't care about the safety of Dorsey High School students."

Wow: Bushey on the opposition:

"On June 4, 2010, United Community Associations, Inc. and Neighbors for
Smart Rail filed joint comments opposing the settlement agreement. The
opposing parties reiterated their argument that the Commission’s 2009 decision authorizing amendments to the application precluded non-grade-separated
crossing proposals and contended that the testimony previously presented by the
school district showed that Dorsey students are “distracted,” likely to take “risks that adults would not,” and that two or three students per day are identified as being “under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.”

And more on the details: "The settlement agreement provides for construction of a passenger station at the intersection of Farmdale Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, with Farmdale Avenue open to crossing vehicular and pedestrian traffic at-grade at Exposition Boulevard. This crossing would have quad gates, flashers, bells, and traffic signals to control vehicular traffic. The passenger station would be constructed as a near-side split-platform configuration at the intersection of Farmdale Avenue and Exposition Boulevard and all trains would stop at each platform prior to reaching the crossing. Small train control and communications building would be located east of the station along Exposition Boulevard. "

· Expo Line gets OK for street-level crossing next to Dorsey High [LAT]
· Farmdale Stop Coming to a Head [Curbed LA]