An Unorthodox Approach to Assessing Risks at Level Crossings and Trespassing Areas

In late 2015, the fast-growing City of Markham (population 342,000) was suffering from increasing environmental noise pollution because of increased commuter train traffic and a resultant increase in the frequency of sounding... [ view full abstract ]

In late 2015, the fast-growing City of Markham (population 342,000) was suffering from increasing environmental noise pollution because of increased commuter train traffic and a resultant increase in the frequency of sounding of train horns when approaching public level crossings. After receiving multiple complaints from affected residents, the City commenced work to determine how to mitigate the problem. It had recently received a draft consultant’s report indicating that it would cost millions of dollars to bring the level crossings to an acceptable safety level at which the horn use could be eliminated.

Because of the very high estimated cost of crossing upgrades, before proceeding further, City Council decided to request a second opinion on the crossing safety assessments along with a related trespassing situation. Some of the challenges experienced undergoing this second review included:

An urgent deadline for the report, which eliminated the opportunity to obtain the necessary approvals to access the rail track in the study area;

obtaining, reconciling and assessing traffic and accident data from various agencies (federal government, road authorities, police and the railway) as well as interpreting Transport Canada’s recent 2014 level crossing regulations as they apply to whistling cessation; and

communications challenges with government agencies and the railway operating company.

Some of the innovative work performed included:

Use of drones to assess morning and evening commuter behaviour at stations along the commuter line; and a review of publicly available satellite data to identify non-public crossings and trespass paths along the route and follow up with site inspections; and

mapping of both crossing accident and trespassing data for the corridor under study and for other similar commuter corridors.

In addition, peak and off-peak observations were undertaken of pedestrian (commuter and non-commuter), cyclist and vehicle driver behaviour at selected sites.

A combination of data analysis, site visits and discussions with local experts allowed development of a risk-assessment matrix, with recommended safety upgrades identified for each crossing. The outcome yielded an extensive reduction in overall cost estimates.

The paper and presentation will provide background on the development of the problem, the process and challenges involved in doing the risk assessment, footage of the drone recordings, the mapping of accident data, the key safety issues identified and the recommended mitigation measures.