The City of Ottawa is planning on building safer crossing infrastructure to ensure the safety of Jockvale pedestrian crossings near the VIA Rail tracks. As part of this plan, the city will create a crosswalk on the South side of the tracks, along with speed cushions, a protected pedestrian island, and reductions to the width of the road.
 
While this proposal will protect most pedestrians crossing Jockvale it doesn’t address the needs of the Steepleview Crossing community members and Barrhaven United church congregants, north of the tracks. For years, these residents have been requesting a crosswalk north of the tracks. However, unfortunately, the city has been unable to meet this request due to federal safety regulations that limit crosswalks near train tracks which could impede traffic on the tracks.
 
As the root federal safety concern will be addressed through the phase one installations on the South side of the tracks, we are requesting that the Minister of Transport commit to working with the City to find a policy option to allow a permanent and safe solution for pedestrians looking to cross Jockvale on the north side of the via tracks.