SEGUIN TWP. - The CN railway crossing at James Bay Junction and Blue Lake Road might soon get an upgrade. CN staff advised municipal staff in Seguin Township that the crossing needs crossing arms and warning lights.
Transport Canada officer Jeffery Young said the long, sweeping bend to the right, which ends 20 metres before the crossing, poses safety concerns, according to a staff report.
At the posted speed limit, 60 km/hr, an unfamiliar driver might not react quickly enough to stop for the crossing.
The cost to install the two new safety features is estimated at $253,600.
Typically, Transport Canada picks up 80 per cent of the tab - if a grant for the work is approved.
The remaining balance of the cost is then split between Seguin, covering $31,700 of the cost, and CN paying $19,020.
The ongoing maintenance for the crossing, estimated at $914.16 annually, is shared equally between CN and Seguin.
Peter Koppisch, director of public works, described the upgrading at the crossing as unnegotiable.
Seguin Mayor David Conn said he hasn't heard of any safety issues at the crossing, and directed Peter Koppisch, director of public works, to ask if lowering the speed limit to 40 km/hr near the crossing is a viable solution.
"It's not that we're saying we're not agreeing to do the upgrades," he said. "We just want to know if (lowering the speed limit) is an option."
The crossing is one of two along James Bay Junction Road. The second crossing also doesn't currently have safety arms or warning lights.
The issue will return to council January 16.