Ottawa to study grade separation at site of deadly bus-train crash

The City of Ottawa says it will study whether overpasses or underpasses are needed at fiverail crossings,including the site of a fatalcrash between a city bus and a Via Rail train in 2013.

The five rail crossings to be studied are located at:

• Woodroffe Avenue
• The Transitway
• Fallowfield Road
• Merivale Road
• Jockvale Road

On Sept. 18, 2013, six peoplefive passengers and the bus driverwere killed when an OC Transpo bus and a Via Rail passenger traincollided at a level rail crossing nearFallowfieldstationin the south Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven. Dozens of other bus passengerswere injured in thecollision.

In its December 2015 review of the crashthe Transportation Safety Board made fourrecommendations to the federal Department of Transportation and one to the city of Ottawa.It suggested councilreconsider the need for grade separation at the Woodroffe Avenue, Transitwayand Fallowfield Road level crossing.

On Friday the city announced it will launch a technical study to determine the feasibility of grade separationat those locations, as well as Merivale Road and JockvaleRoad.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watsoncalled theTSB reporta "catalyst" for the city to return to the question of whether at-grade rail crossings should be altered, and at what cost but at the time added that Ottawa would likely need financial support from other levels of government to carry out meaningful changes.

Around 2004 the city looked into grade separation at several level rail crossings, but high costs,geotechnicalissues and other factors led the city to decide against grade separation at those locations.

The Transportation Safety Board'sfour recommendations for theDepartment of Transportation are:

• Develop comprehensive guidelines for the installation and use of in-vehicle video monitor displays, inconsultation with the provinces,to reduce the risk of driver distraction.
• Develop and implement crashworthiness standards for passenger buses to reduce the risk of injury.
• Require passenger buses to be equipped with dedicated, crashworthy event data recorders.
• Provide specific guidance as to when grade separation should be considered.