Confusion has remained for some bus drivers about whether or not to stop, even though railway signals like this one in Renfrew, are now covered with garbage bags.

2 November 2011

Stop or Go?

Renfrew Ontario - Some Renfrew County railway signals are covered in garbage bags. In other places, the signals remain uncovered, but school bus drivers have hesitated about whether they should be stopping at those crossings.
 
"To stop or not to stop?" has been the question, said Renfrew County property and development director Paul Moreau at the 26 Oct 2011 meeting of Renfrew County council.
 
Moreau says he has been informed that the Renfrew detachment of the OPP is not going to enforce stops by bus drivers on the discontinued sections of the Canadian Pacific rail line.
 
Moreau checked with Staff-Sgt. Colin Slight, the commander of the Renfrew detachment, to determine the extent of OPP enforcement.
 
After consulting with Ministry of Transportation and OPP officials, including the OPP's regional manager of traffic, Slight said there will be no enforcement where the tracks are removed on both sides of the crossing.
 
Some school buses have been stopping on Raglan Street near Munroe Avenue, in downtown Renfrew, even though no train tracks remain on either side of the intersection.
 
Canadian Pacific has contracted out the dismantling of the railway this summer and fall. A total of about 40 kilometres of rails and related equipment has been collected between Renfrew and Cobden this year. Much more equipment will be collected on the line running between Mattawa and Smiths Falls in 2012.
 
Some confusion has remained because, in some places, the tracks remain embedded in the road or highway, but have been removed from both sides of the crossing.
 
In the southeast end of Renfrew, the tracks remain in place along with railway signals, since dismantling of those rails isn't expected to happen until 2012.
 
Therefore, OPP enforcement will remain in place at the Hall Avenue, O'Brien Road, and Gillan Road crossings.
 
Steve Newman.