Protect citizens’ interests against railway companies’ arbitrary decisions!

Across Canada, citizens need to access public transportation, places of work, public services and natural resources. But in areas with railway lines, a major obstacle to mobility is the absence of safe railway crossings. Studies clearly show that the risk of trespassing is double compared to crossing on a legal grade crossing. Currently, railway companies hold all the power to decide where to open railway level crossings. Large companies such as Canadian Pacific (CP) have ignored the interests of citizens, local businesses and municipalities.  

In British Columbia, 15,000 tourists a year will be prevented from rafting in the lower canyon of the Kicking Horse River, because CP has unilaterally decided to close a crossing bridge that has been in use for 40 years. 
 
In Montreal, municipal officials and local groups have been fighting to open six legal crossings on CP railways in densely populated areas. But the problem has still not been resolved, because CP argues the operation of six to eight trains a day is more important than citizen’s safety and mobility.

This has to end. The safety of citizens should not depend on railway companies’ goodwill. The Minister of Transport has the power to close a rail crossing but not to open one. Bill C-322 will finally empower the Minister of Transport to ensure mobility of citizens, and create safe railway crossings where they are most needed.
 
Sign this petition if you agree!