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Home My WebLink AboutOES 48-02 1 ~~O Ciú¡ o~ REPORT TO THE FINANCE & OPERATIONS COMMITTEE Report Number: OES 48-02 Date: November 7,2002 From: Richard W. Holborn, P.Eng. Division Head Municipal Property & Engineering Subject: Railway Crossing Gate Installations Canadian Pacific Belleville Subdivision Line Rosebank Road & Toronto/Pickering Townline Road Crossings Recommendation: 1. That Report OES 48-02 regarding the installation of automatic railway crossing gates be received; and 2. That City Council approve an expenditure of $33,000 from the $100,000 allocation for cost shared improvements within the 2002 Operations & Emergency Services Capital Budget to provide for the City's share of the total costs to install railway crossing gates at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road level crossings of the Canadian Pacific Belleville Subdivision Railway Line; and 3. That City Council direct staff to investigate the future feasibility of prohibiting locomotive whistling at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road level crossings and to report back on the matter. Executive Summary: An opportunity currently exists to partner with Transport Canada and the Canadian Pacific Railway on the installation of automatic railway crossing gates at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road level crossings of the Belleville Subdivision Railway Line. Not only do the automatic gates improve crossing safety but they will also provide the City with the future opportunity to pass a municipal by-law possibly allowing the cessation of the sounding of locomotive whistles. As residential development continues to encroach upon these crossing locations it can be expected that more frequent requests will be made by residents for sound controls. The present arrangement will see the majority of the funding for the gates, 87.5% of the total installation cost being bourne by the Railway and Transport Canada. Financial Implications: The installation of automatic railway crossing gates at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road level crossings of the Canadian Report OES 48-02 Date: November 7, 2002 1 t)'" {.,,1 Subject: Railway Crossing Gates Page 2 Pacific Belleville Subdivision Railway Line are estimated to cost approximately $152,100 and $181,400, respectively. Transport Canada has offered grants for these installations, which will fund up to a maximum of 80% of the total cost. The remaining 20% of the installation must be split at legislated rates of 7.5% for the Railway and 12.5% for the Municipalities. The resulting estimated cost to the City of Pickering will therefore be $9,506.25 for the Toronto/Pickering Townline Crossing and $22,675 for Rosebank Road, or a total of $32,181.25. The cost for the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road crossing is significantly less than the Rosebank Road crossing, as the charge will be equally split between the City of Toronto and the City of Pickering at 6.25% each. In the 2002 Capital Budget Roads 2320-6003, Council approved $100,000 as the City's share to enter into a cost sharing arrangement for road improvements. It is recommended that some of the funds be used. The City of Pickering will also be responsible for an equal share of the increased annual maintenance costs associated with crossing gates. The City's share of the maintenance costs over what is currently paid without gates will be approximately $250 annually for the Toronto/Pickering Townline crossing and $500 annually for the Rosebank Road crossing. These funds are budgeted for annually in account 2320- 2409. Background: In July of 2002, officials from Transport Canada, Canadian Pacific Railway, the City of Toronto and the City's Municipal Property & Engineering Division met to review the proposal to install automatic crossing gates at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road level crossing locations of the Canadian Pacific Belleville Subdivision Railway Line. A location map is attached and the crossings are shown as point 1 and point 3 respectively. Each crossing review typically assesses such existing and future conditions as traffic volumes, collision history, railway line geometry, double track configurations, limited crossing visibility sightlines, high mainline maximum train speeds, future increases in rail line usage and the continued encroachment of adjacent development. It was also noted during the meeting that crossing gates were being approved for the Beare Road and Reesor Road crossings in the City of Toronto along the same line and as an economy of scale it would be prudent to install gates at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road crossings at the same time. In September of 2002, estimates were received from Canadian Pacific Railway that outlined the total cost of the proposed works and the conditions that would need to be fulfilled to proceed with the installations. Grants provided by Transport Canada are expected to be approved and will fund up to a maximum of 80% of the total cost to install gates at the two crossing locations. The designs provided by Canadian Pacific Railway confirm total estimated installation costs of $152,100 for the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and $181,400 for the Rosebank Road crossing. The remaining 20% of the total cost must be split at rates of 7.5% for the Railway and 12.5% for the respective municipalities. The estimated cost to the City of Pickering will therefore be $22,675 for Report OES 48-02 Date: November 7,2002 1')'2 >.., . Subject: Railway Crossing Gates Page 3 Rosebank Road and $9,506.25 for the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road crossing as the 12.5% cost will be split equally with the City of Toronto. The total financial obligation to the City of Pickering is estimated at $32,181.25 for both locations. Quite frequently the request for railway crossing gates originates from the complaints of nearby residents about the sounding of the locomotive whistle. Although this has not been the premise of the investigation on this occasion, the installation of fully automatic crossing gates at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road crossings will provide the City with the future opportunity to pass a By-law allowing for the possible cessation of the train whistle at each location. If the City decides to take this approach in the future, the By-law must be accepted by Transport Canada subject to a review of existing safety conditions where after an order will be issued to discontinue the locomotive whistling upon approach to the crossings. Since inherent safety risks will remain at each crossing following the discontinuance of the train whistle, it is the policy of the Canadian Pacific Railway that the Municipality be required to share the costs of third party liability insurance. This opportunity will be investigated upon the direction of City Council and the completion of the Railway crossing gates. The approval of the Railway's 7.5% share of the funding has been confirmed. In order for the Canadian Pacific Railway to proceed with the ordering of the necessary materials and to install the gates at the Toronto/Pickering Townline Road and Rosebank Road crossings, the approval of funds will be required from the 2002 Operations and Emergency Services Capital Budget. Attachments: 1. Location Map Prepared By: .~ Stephen Brake Supervisor, Traffic & Waste Management Everett Director, Operations & Emergency Services Report OES 48-02 Date: November 7,2002 1?3 Subject: Railway Crossing Gates Page 4 Submitted By: CSB: csb/Railways/RTG-Townline & Rosebank, Beneville Sub Attachments Copy: Chief Administrative Officer Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council " FINCH ð T OPERATIONS & EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT MUNICIPAL PROPERTY & ENGINEERING DIVISION SCAlEo RE'I1SED DATEo NOV 8/2002 L\MPand£\Thematic Mapp;ng\Maps\MP&£ - Tra(f;c\CNR RaO Level Crass;ng NTS 0 0:: 0 >- I 0( Z 0 !:; 0( EXISTING GATED LEVEL CROSSING POINT 6 ST L&H CONCESS>ON STONEHU"" "OAO OAV'OSON CORRIOOR ~ AVENUE ~ ¡.\'I'DRO ð 0:: 0( EXISTING GATED I~ LEVEL CROSSING ~ POINT 2 -I -0 ~ a ~ ~ ~ I C t '" RAILWAY CROSSING GATES REPORT ROSEBANK ROAD AND SCARBOROUGH/PICKERING TOWN LINE ROAD CROSSINGS CANADIAN PACIFIC BELLEVILLE SUBDIVISION LINE