BARRIE - A new bylaw will come before council in August following a decision Monday to control early-morning train whistles at three Barrie GO train road crossings.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean area residents can expect to slumber in silence come fall.
“We haven’t heard officially if they would obey,” said Ward 2 Coun. Jeff Lehman. “We do know they would prefer not to have a partial ban.”
City interim director of operations Dave Friary said a request would have to be sent to CN to determine whether a specific timeframe would be observed. A preliminary response from the GO supervisor was inconclusive.
“We would have to move up the ladder,” said Friary of subsequent questioning.
Council has already allocated $80,000 to install safety maze barriers at railroad crossings at Mapleview Drive East, Little Avenue and Minet’s Point Road as required by Transport Canada.
In upgrading deficiencies at the crossings to comply to necessary guidelines, as identified in a 2009 safety study, signs and pavement markings have been installed and sightlines have been cleared – including trimming and removing trees and purchasing necessary easements, according to community operations general manager Jim Sales.
“The physical work done in preparation for anti-whistling would have been completed regardless of our anti-whistling investigation,” added operations project coordinator Andy Foster. “The costs to upgrade the crossings to adhere to (Transport Canada guidelines) have been approximately $105,000.”
Detailed safety assessments added $13,000 to the overall project price.
Mayor Dave Aspden, who cited safety and liability concerns, joined Lehman, Ward 6 Coun. Michael Prowse and Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard in voting against the control.
“I am very sympathetic to residents in the area and the impact the whistle has, but when we look back at this, it was a project that was to cost $10,000 and it now is $200,000,” said Prowse in a later comment. “This decision increases the city’s liability and could make our crossings less safe.”
“That’s a big price to pay for the sake of a few hundred residents wanting four whistles a day, mostly in the morning, to end,” agreed Brassard.
Regardless of the dissention, the motion carried with a vote of six to four. Ward 8 Coun. Jerry Moore was absent.
mlawson@simcoe.com