The City of New Westminster is still on track to put an end to train whistles at some Sapperton crossings but the ETA at Spruce Street is now uncertain.
Four times a year, the city provides council and the community with a quarterly update on the progress that’s being made on train whistle cessation at public grade rail crossings in New West. The latest update for the third-quarter of 2023 (Q3) states the estimated date of whistle cessation is Q3 2025 at the Cumberland Street crossing and is to be determined for the Spruce Street crossing.
Coun. Tasha Henderson, who is in regular contact with Brewery District residents who are awaiting whistle cessation, asked why the previous report had listed the date of whistle cessation at the Spruce Street crossing as Q3 2025 but it’s now listed as to be determined.
Lisa Leblanc, the city’s director of engineering, said the Spruce Street crossing is one of the more complex locations in the city.
“We've got three rail companies involved there. Really awkward rail and road geometry, with a gap between two of the rail lines, and then there's SkyTrain overhead,” she said. “So, there's a lot going on there.”
Leblanc said the city had been progressing with a design for that location, and it was in alignment with the thinking of all concerned. She said an additional question arose related to the gap between the main line and spur line.
“As a result, it's going to require a bit of time to explore the question that has come up recently,” she said. “So to be transparent to council and the community, we wanted to flag now that the timeline for completion of the design and subsequent improvements at this crossing is less certain than it had been last quarter.”
Leblanc said staff is currently uncertain how much this will impact the anticipated timeline for whistle cessation at Spruce Street.
“We're continuing to do what we can to push the project forward and to keep going on it; just recognizing that we're working with multiple parties, with each having their own priorities,” she said.
The Q3 2023 report also outlined the status of other short- and mid-term opportunities for whistle cessation in New Westminster. Here’s the estimated date of whistle cessation at some other crossings in the city:
- Furness Street at Duncan Street in Queensborough – Q4 2023
- 20th Street crossing in the West End – Q4 2024
- Fourth Avenue crossing in the West End – Q4 2024.
Five crossings in Queensborough and two other crossings in Sapperton (Braid Street at Brunette and Braid Street at Vulcan) are considered more complex. The date of whistle cessation at those locations is yet to be determined.
According to the City of New Westminster, Transport Canada has developed a process for whistle cessation at public crossings, and all steps must be completed, with agreement from rail operators. Once whistle cessation is approved at a crossing, train operators are still required to blow their whistles in emergency situations, such as when people, vehicle operators or animals are in close proximity to rail activities.
