Canada's Railway Grade Crossing Regulations

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Upcoming Information Sharing Deadline under Transport Canada’s Grade Crossing Regulations

In December 2014, Transport Canada published new Grade Crossing Regulations for safety management of federally-regulated grade crossings. Municipal road authorities are strongly encouraged to become acquainted with their obligations under the new regulations, including a December 2016 deadline related to information sharing for existing crossings.

Background:

The Grade Crossing Regulations define roles and responsibilities for both municipalities and railways, and establish enforceable safety standards for new and existing federally-regulated grade crossings. The introduction of the grade crossings regulations has been a long-standing recommendationof the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

While the Grade Crossing Regulations came into force immediately, and apply in full to new or modified grade crossings, municipalities and railways have until December 2016 to share critical safety information regarding existing crossings, and until December 2021 to ensure existing crossings meet basic safety requirements.

Information sharing requirements for municipalities (Section 12 of the Grade Crossing Regulations)

Municipalities and other road authorities must share the following information, in writing, with railways on existing grade crossings by December 2016:

the precise location of the grade crossing;
the number of traffic lanes that cross the crossing surface;
the average annual daily traffic;
the road crossing design speed;
the specifications set out in columns A, B and C of Table 10-2 of the Grade Crossings Standards to which the road approach corresponds, taking into account the characteristics set out for rural roads in Table 10-3 of those Standards or the characteristics set out for urban roads in Table 10-4 of those Standards, as applicable;
the width of each traffic lane and shoulder on the road approach;
the design vehicle;
the stopping sight distance;
the average gradient of the road approach;
the crossing angle referred to in article 6.5 of the Grade Crossings Standards;
the applicable departure time referred to in article 10.3 of the Grade Crossings Standards;
the activation time referred to in article 18.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards;
the time referred to in article 19.3(a) of the Grade Crossings Standards; and
an indication of whether the grade crossing includes a sidewalk, path or trail, and if so, whether the sidewalk, path or trail has been designated for persons using assistive devices.