identify potential deficiencies and safety issues at the at-grade crossing, as well as an assessment of the appropriate remedial measures to address the identified deficiencies and safety issues. The main steps that are involved in a field investigation and assessment are as follows: • review the geometry and undertake a conformance check of present warning system and traffic control device applications; • conduct road user behaviour and positive guidance reviews; • observe overall driver behaviour, conflict potential and general operations to identify operational issues at the at-grade crossing; and • identify potential remedial measures to address one or more of the compliance violations or potential hazards. These safety reviews constitute a critical component of meeting regulatory demands. As such, they should be delegated to
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Canadian Underwriter September 2017
Despite the major implications of the new regulations, Transport Canada does not have a mechanism in place to directly inform private crossing owners about the new requirements that will soon apply to them. those with pertinent traffic engineering and rail expertise, as well as in-depth knowledge of the regulations.
FUNDING IMPROVEMENTS Though not all improvements to private crossings will be eligible for funding, Transport Canada’s Railway Safety Improvement Program does fund several types of safety improvements for at-grade
crossings. Funding for eligible improvements could be as much as 80% of the cost of a crossing improvement project. Each year until 2021, the federal government will be allocating a certain budget for railway crossing improvements. However, given the large number of public and private crossings in Canada, the available budget will not be sufficient to fund improvements at all crossings. As such, the sooner a private crossing owner submits an application, the better the odds of obtaining a portion of those resources. The primary change with the new federal Grade Crossing Regulations is that the standards are no longer considered guidance — they have become regulatory requirements. To allow for a smooth introduction of the new obligations, insurers may need to inform private owners of their responsibilities or require those owners to review their crossings for compliance purposes sooner rather than later.