(Blue Diamond Road) Corridor Study - Regional Transportation ...

6. SR-160 Corridor Improvement Plan RTC SR-160 Corridor Study
6.7 UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY
6.7.1 Overview
This section evaluates whether any part of the abandoned Union Pacific Railroad’s Blue
Diamond branch line – including the rail line that still exists or any of the land along the
remainder of the right-of-way – would be appropriate and cost-effective for fixed-guideway
use. The evaluation includes the determination of property ownership and physical
condition of the right-of-way.
Most of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) branch line that extended from their mainline at
Arden to the Blue Diamond mine no longer exists and all track and structures have been
removed, although a good portion of the original right-of-way (ROW) is still intact.
EXHIBIT 6-6: Overview of Blue Diamond Right-of-Way
Approximately 3.6 miles of the ROW is potentially viable for transit usage. This segment of
the corridor starts at the UPRR mainline at Arden and heads northwest to SR-160. After
crossing the highway, the right-of-way parallels SR-160 until just east of Fort Apache Road.
Here, it turns in a northwesterly direction away from the highway, into the hills, and
through a recently constructed detention basin, where it becomes unsuitable for transit
purposes.
Most of the land under the abandoned right-of-way is now privately owned, although the
Federal Government owns some large parcels. There are approximately 34 parcels along
the corridor, none of which includes solely the right-of-way itself, which are zoned into four
categories:
H-2, general highway frontage district
C-2, general commercial district
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