Stop the Horns Markham makes noise over demand for work guarantees

Group wants to know when safety features at rail crossings will be completed

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 27, 2017
By Tim Kelly

Stop the Horns won't stop making noise about what it wants in Markham.

Spokesperson Shanta Sundarason appeared before Markham council Tuesday night and asked for firm guarantees from council and staff about when work would be completed on safety features for train crossings in the city this fall and next winter and spring.

The work is necessary before the city can pass a bylaw to eliminate train whistles at numerous rail crossings in Markham.

Sundarason, whose group has been relentless in protesting since June at politician's offices and in meetings with Metrolinx to demand progress on whistle-cessation, made her demands known Tuesday.

"We'd like a guarantee that five crossings will be complete by year-end and a completion date for crossings next spring," said Sundarason.

She also asked that the train horns be silenced when the work is completed on the five crossings completed by the end of December.

"The only promise we have had from the Minister of Transportation's office is that additional trains are on the way," Sundarason said.

Mayor Frank Scarpitti assured the Stop The Horns delegation, "that it's all hands on deck and they're to get through this as expeditiously as possible."

He said, "I would love to give you a guarantee," but said it was weather-dependent and indicated "rain, cold weather, snow" could make it "tough" to meet the deadlines.

But Scarpitti insisted all involved would work to meet the deadline of having the first five crossings done by the end of 2017 and eight more done by the spring of 2018.

Director of engineering Brian Lee told Sundarason that it's likely whistling won't stop in Markham until the spring of 2018 when at least 13 crossings have safety barrier work done.

Scarpitti assured everyone that "if any additional resources are needed" to get the work done they will be.

The safety measures to silence the horns at every Markham rail crossing by the spring of 2018 are being brought in at a total cost of $6 million, shared by Markham and York Region taxpayers.