Safety improvements made at Ottawa bus crash site
Speed limit lowered to 50 km/h, dead trees, brush to be cleared, another warning light to be added
In its first meeting since the deadly September crash between an OC Transpo bus and a Via Rail train, the city's transit commission outlined new measures it's taking to improve safety at the level train crossing on Woodroffe Avenue.
City manager Kent Kirkpatrick said Wednesday that the city will be clearing out brush and dead trees to improve visibility and sight lines at the crossing.
The speed limit along the Transitway approaching the crossing is also being lowered from 60 kilometres per hour to 50 km/h in both directions, he said.
Another warning light is also being added.
Most of the safety enhancements were expected to be in place by Thursday morning, Kirkpatrick said.
New measures not ordered by TSB, city says
The Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the crash, which killed six people, continues.
No cause has yet been determined.
Kirkpatrick said the new measures the city is taking were not recommended by the TSB.
He also said people shouldn't assume the crash was caused by speed or visibility simply because the city is working on them.
Transit commission chair Diane Deans said future commission meetings will begin with observations from the TSB investigation.
Kirkpatrick said these new measures won't be extended to other crossings.