A section of the newly built fence enclosing the railroad tracks between 15th street and a private parking lot on the Corner has gone missing.
Charlottesville Police Lieut. Stephen Upman said police trying to figure out what happened to the missing section of fence.
“There is an ongoing investigation into what happened to the fence,” Upman said in an email. “It is considered an act of vandalism.”
Students looking for a shortcut between the Corner area and central Grounds were avoiding the more than $200,000 fence even before a section went missing, since the structure was not built flush to an adjacent building and passing the tracks was still possible.
Since the fence is city property the police do not know how much time will be needed to fix it. Upman said they will be fining anyone caught trespassing.
Upman said there has not been an increase in police presence around the tracks since the fence was erected.
“There is always a police presence around the University [and] Corner area but not to specifically [enforce] the fence issue,” Upman said. “If [trespassers] are seen by an officer doing so, they would be charged with Virginia Code section 18.2-159 (trespassing on railroad tracks is a class 4 misdemeanor).”
Third-year College student Rachel Murphy, chair of Council’s Safety and Wellness Committee, echoed Upman’s warnings about the legality of crossing the tracks.
“It’s illegal to cross [the railroad tracks],” Murphy said. “It is a public safety risk and a liability for the railroad companies”.
Murphy said she is not aware of any accidents in Charlottesville involving the train tracks, and she said Council recognizes the current solution for keeping Charlottesville residents off of the tracks is flawed. She said Council is working on proposing a more permanent solution, including the possibility of constructing a pedestrian crossing to allow residents to safely cross the tracks.
All proposals will have to go through the city’s Neighborhood Development Services, and Murphy said she is optimistic Council will be able to find a solution. She said Council is trying to look out for the students while also keeping in mind the interests of the University.
“We [Student Council] recognize the need for the fence, but we think there is a way to have a compromise,” Murphy said. “StudCo is definitely on the side of the students on this issue”.
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