Costs for Markham's anti-horn program increases to $6.2M

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 6, 2016
By Amanda Persico

Costs to silence the trains along the Stouffville GO Line in Markham are increasing and now sit close to $6.2 million.

Safety upgrades include pedestrian barriers or gates at 13 at-grade rail crossings.

According to city staff, four additional pedestrian gates at Hwy. 7, similar to those found along Main Street Markham, were added, costing about $200,000 each.

The cost was offset by eliminating 20 pedestrian maze barriers at crossings where pedestrian gates will be constructed.

Markham’s new cost is $2.3 million, up from $1.26 million.

The region’s cost is $3.8 million, up from $2.2 million.

And Metrolinx’s new cost went down to $98,000 from $1.94 million.

The hope is to silence the horns as all-day, two-way service ramps up.

But rural residents were left out of the no-horn initiative, said Shanta Sundarason, Unionville resident and founder of the  nohorns.ca group.

“Markham should not have two standards of life,” she said during a recent development services committee meeting.

“The farming community deserves to have a healthy and quiet environment as well.”

Here or there, sound carries, she added.

Sundarason pushed for the city to include anti-whistle provisions for at-grade crossings located at Elgin Mills Road, Ninth Line and 19th Avenue.

The three additional crossings, as well as others along the CN and CPR lines, are to be considered in the 2018 budget.

“This initiative should be expanded over all our crossings,” said Regional Councillor and deputy mayor Jack Heath.

“It’s not fair to select some and not others because one is less used.”

There are rumours Metrolinx is considering grade separation or overpasses for railroad crossings at major urban streets, such as McCowan Road or Hwy. 7.

Some councillors are concerned funds spent on current at-grade crossings would just be a throwaway.

City staff confirmed Metrolinx is studying the idea of overpasses - no environmental studies have been completed and construction is at least a decade away.

City staff expect to complete the design work for each of the crossing upgrades in early spring.

And staff are meeting with Operation Lifesavers in the new year to develop an education and public awareness campaign. The nonprofit promotes safety at rail crossings.