Petition seeks Barrhaven rail crossing overpass or underpass
CBC News | Posted: November 10, 2014 11:42 PM | Last Updated: November 10, 2014
An Ottawa lawyer has launched a petition to build an overpass or underpass at a controversial Barrhaven rail crossing after last week's mishap.
Last Thursday morning, the crossing gate at the Fallowfield Road railway crossing came down on top of a double-decker OC Transpo bus as a VIA train leaving Fallowfield Station passed in front of it.
The train passed through safely, but this close call — coming a year after a fatal bus and train collision in Barrhaven — has led to a renewed call for an underpass or overpass at the troubled intersection.
On Sept. 17, 2013, Ottawa lawyer Daljit Nirman boarded the number 76 near his Barrhaven home, as he did two or three times a week. He said hello to the driver, Dave Woodard, and took his usual seat near the front.
The next morning, the day of the crash that killed six people, he decided to drive to work.
"Otherwise I would have been at the front of the bus, and I don't know what my fate would have been," Nirman said.
After this latest incident at the Fallowfield crossing, Nirman and other Barrhaven residents are calling for a permanent solution, an underpass or overpass, to keep trains and traffic separate.
"No expense is of more worth than a human life. ... They should be considering the proposal for an underpass or overpass as a permanent solution to this problem," Nirman said.
The city investigated that possibility at the nearby Woodroffe Avenue crossing a decade ago, but ultimately rejected the idea because of poor soil conditions, because of the estimated $111-million price tag, and because many nearby residents didn't want it.
Today, residents are still divided.
"If it's going to help with safety after what happened, I'm all for it," said Barrhaven resident Susan Rashotte. "I don't know if that's definitely the way to go, but certainly if it helps with keeping people safe ... then I'm for it."
"Underpass or overpass are both good ideas, but unfortunately they're very expensive. And if it's going to affect my taxes, I think we should look at alternatives," said Bernie Runstedler. "What are the alternatives? The jury is still out on that one."
"I guess safety is the number one thing that we should be looking at, and maybe an underpass or overpass would be a good idea, but of course there's always the cost involved in that," said Dale O'Reilly.
Nirman is still collecting signatures, having gathered about three dozen so far. He's written to the mayor, his MP and MPP, as well as the federal and provincial transportation ministers. None of those recipients CBC contacted Monday responded to calls for comment.