Fences in the Sherwood Forest park area keeping people away from the railway tracks get attention from the city

By Pepper Parr

August 5th, 2015

BURLINGTON, ON

Our report late in July on the fence being down on a piece of property in the west end of the city next to the railway lines resulted in some action.

Denise Davey has been a tireless advocate for ensuring  that access to the rail lines are  secured and young people don’t have the opportunity to scoot across the train tracks thinking g they can beat the oncoming train.

Vince Fiorito holds up part of a fence that had been trampled into the ground due to a lack of maintenance.

There have been too many deaths – “a fact which the city recognized a few years ago” said Davey ” when they set up a pedestrian rail safety committee to discuss these problems.”

Three railway crossing deaths in three months – intolerable Click for more.

Part of the problem is the problems have to get to them- they don’t have any way of communicating with the people who have properties along the rail line.

Davey said she was told that city staff investigated the issues with property access to the rail line through the creek that runs under the rail  line that cuts through Sherwood Forest Park.  Some of the properties are owned by the City and that they will be installing fencing.

Davey said: “This is good and it’s what I asked for all those years ago! Hopefully they do it right as there’s a lot of land that needs to be blocked off.

Minister of transportation holds meetings to look for answers to railway crossing deaths. Click for more

“Where there is private ownership, the owners are being notified and the city Building Department will be following up with them. I don’t know if there is any regulation that will force them to put up fencing or not but hopefully they’ll do it regardless.”