(1) Areas of responsibility.

(a) Highway authorities must maintain and keep in repair the surfaces and the subgrades of the roadway approaches up to one foot from the outside of either rail at a grade crossing with one track. At crossings involving more than one track, the highway authority must maintain and keep in repair the roadway approaches up to one foot from the outside of each of the two outside rails.

(b) At a grade crossing with one track, railroad companies must maintain and keep in repair the crossing surfaces between the rails and for a distance of one foot on the outside of either rail. At crossings involving more than one track, railroad companies must maintain and keep in repair the crossing surfaces and the roadway for the entire area between the outermost rails at the crossing, and for a distance of one foot outside of the two outermost rails.

(c) If tracks at a crossing involving more than one track are owned by different railroad companies, each company must maintain and keep in repair the crossing surfaces and roadway within its right of way that is within the area specified in (b) of this subsection.

(2) Crossing surfaces.

(a) Crossing surfaces include shoulders and pedestrian walkways immediately adjacent to a roadway or shoulder. If reasonably possible, roadways and adjacent shoulders and pedestrian walkways must be continued through a crossing without narrowing the roadway, shoulder or walkway.

(b) The subgrade to a crossing surface must be maintained in a manner which minimizes damage to the crossing surface, taking into account the effects of topography, water tables, weather, and the types of vehicular traffic generally using the crossing.

(3) Roadways.

(a) Roadways between tracks at crossings involving more than one set of tracks, including the roadway subgrade, must be of the same quality as the roadway approaches to the crossing unless the highway authority and the railroad company agree to a higher quality.

(b) Roadway approaches must be constructed and maintained so that the transition between the roadway and crossing surface is on the same plane and smooth.

(c) At grade crossings where track superelevation exists, roadway approaches must be constructed and maintained so that the transition between the roadway and crossing surface is as smooth as practicable.

(4) Standards for surface maintenance and repair. Crossing surfaces must be convenient and safe for passage. Some factors in determining compliance with this general standard are:

(a) Whether crossing surfaces and the adjacent roadways are level with the top of the rails on the plane created by each set of tracks.

(b) Whether crossing surfaces are broken or loose.

(c) The existence of potholes.

(d) The existence of curled or rolled asphalt.

(e) Whether traffic generally slows to traverse the crossing.

(f) Citizen complaints.

(5) Notice. Notice requirements for highway authorities and railroad companies when performing maintenance on a crossing surface are located in WAC 480-62-305 (4) and (5).