FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2019
CONTACT
English/Spanish:
Vanessa Sandoval, Office of Councilmember Sergio Jimenez:
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez calls for legal action against Union Pacific for blatant disregard for health and safety of San Jose residents and continued neglect to address blight, graffiti, trash, and trespass along railway lines
San Jose, Calif. – Councilmember Sergio Jimenez has been committed to finding the resources and solutions necessary to keep San Jose streets clean and safe. Despite the investment of thousands of dollars in litter and homeless abatement, the UPRR line along Monterey Road is blighted by illegal dumping, graffiti, and other dangerous conditions. Furniture, construction debris, and piles of garbage are strewn along the tracks. Residents have submitted hundreds of requests for service to UPRR to no avail, and trash sits on the railway for months at a time. Numerous homeless encampments along the corridor are a health and safety hazard with several fires reported as well as the accumulation of large amounts of hazardous waste.
“The conditions along UPRR railways throughout the City have deteriorated the quality of life in San Jose, and UPRR’s blatant disregard for the health and safety of our residents is unacceptable. We have tried to address these issues diplomatically, but UPRR has demonstrated time and again that they are not good neighbors and that their first priority is transportation and commerce, even at the expense of neighboring communities. My residents and I are frustrated, and we can no longer tolerate the status quo when it comes to UPRR.”
Lack of jurisdiction over San Jose’s notoriously blighted Monterey Road railway has been an extreme setback in City efforts to address graffiti, litter, and encampments because permission from UPRR is required to gain access to the property. The City has worked for months on a
Memorandum of Understanding
with UPRR to gain regular access to the railways for litter cleanups, abatements, and graffiti removal. Unfortunately, UPRR’s lack of cooperation has delayed progress on an MOU and left the City of San Jose with no other recourse but to pursue legal action.
Read the memorandum
from Councilmembers Sergio Jimenez, Raul Peralez, Devora Davis, Maya Esparza and Mayor Sam Liccardo directing the City Attorney to explore legal action against Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR).
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