16-212. Railroads; safety regulations; power to prescribe.

A city of the first class by ordinance may regulate the crossing of railway tracks and provide precautions and prescribe rules regulating the same, regulate the running of railway engines, cars, and trucks within the limits of such city, and prescribe rules relating thereto, and govern the speed thereof, and make other and further provisions, rules, and restrictions to prevent accidents at the crossings and on the tracks of railways, and to prevent fires from engines. A city of the first class may regulate and prescribe the manner of running street cars, require the heating and cleaning of such cars, and fix and determine the fare charged, require the lighting of any railways within the city in such manner as the city shall prescribe, and fix and determine the number, style, and size of the lampposts, burners, lamps, and all other fixtures and apparatus necessary for such lighting, and the points of location for such lampposts. If the company owning or operating such railways shall fail to comply with such requirements, the city council may cause such requirements to be complied with by giving notice of such action and may assess the expense of complying with such requirements against such company, and the expense shall constitute a lien on any real estate belonging to such company, and lying within such city, and may be collected in the same manner as taxes for general purposes. The city may (1) require railroad companies to keep flagmen at all railroad crossings of streets, and provide protection against injury to persons and property in the use of such railroads, (2) compel any railroad to raise or lower their railroad tracks to conform to the general grade, which may at any time be established by such city, and where such tracks run lengthwise through or over any street, alley, or highway, to keep the tracks level with the street surface, and (3) compel and require railroad companies to keep open the streets, and to construct and keep in repair ditches, drains, sewers, and culverts, along and under their railroad tracks, and to pave their whole right-of-way on all paved streets, and keep the right-of-way and tracks in repair.

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