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The Transportation and Environment Committee in the city of San Jose will name a newly created pedestrian bridge over Union Pacific Railroad tracks in memory of Alexander Arriaga.
This crossing is being built more than five years after two year old Arriaga was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in 2005. Several community organizations and governmental organizations came together over the past several years to fund a crossing that could prevent more fatal accidents from crossing these railroad tracks. In February 2012, Councilmember Ash Kalra submitted a nomination form to City Clerk Dennis Hawkins nominating the overcrossing be named “Xander’s Crossing”. Pursuant to San Jose council policy 7-5 “Naming of City-Owned Land and Facilities”, the naming was referred to the Transportation and Environment Committee.
The construction of the 315-foot long prefabricated steel bridge over Blossom Hill is scheduled to be completed by mid-2012 and will be owned and operated by the city of San Jose. “Xander’s Crossing” will create the necessary safe access for both pedestrians and bicyclists over the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks.
According to the staff report, the naming of the pedestrian overcrossing in honor of Alexander serves as a reminder of how his life contributed to the development of wide-spread community support to increase pedestrian safety and the well-being of the community. The entire city will directly benefit from this safe route for pedestrians and bicyclists in an area that is prone to crossing incidents.