The City of Ottawa is rejecting a warning issued by Transport Canada earlier this month, arguing the Fallowfield crossing is safe and poses no threat to safety.
In a statement released Friday, the City of Ottawa said they could not "concur" with Transport Canada's "opinion" that the level crossing posed a threat or hazard to road and rail users.
"We are also of the opinion that the driver's decision to err on the side of caution further ensured that there was no threat to rail or transit passenger safety," Kent Kirkpatrick, the City Manager said.
Read Kent Kirkpatrick's full response below.
The city's statement comes two weeks after a crossing gate closed on an OC Transpo bus stopped in the intersection. Kirpatrick said the bus came to a complete stop approximately 67 seconds before the train entered the intersection.
In light of the incident, the City of Ottawa has made some changes to the intersection. The crossing lines have been repainted so they are more visible to drivers, a new training course on level crossings has been set up for OC Transpo drivers and monthly inspections of traffic control signals have been stepped up.
The City of Ottawa also said they retained independent engineers to confirm the safety of the intersection.
