Park users and area residents are calling for the city to do something to increase rail safety in the Delta Nature Reserve after a dog was killed by a passing train last week.
The incident happened at about 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 26 at an unsanctioned ground-level crossing near the Monroe Drive entrance to the North Delta Greenway.
Alexandra Gust lives a few blocks from the park and takes her dogs for daily walks in the nature reserve, rain or shine, often using the Monroe Drive crossing. She was there when a man whom she had just met earlier that morning lost his dog to a passing train.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know his name,鈥� Gust said. 鈥淚 know he鈥檇 only had the dog for about six months, he adopted her. We came to the bridge and I said to him, 鈥業鈥檓 crossing here.鈥� So he followed me.鈥�
Running roughly north-south and parallel to the BNSF tracks, the greenway is mirrored by a walking path in the Delta Nature Reserve. The two popular trails are linked by official crossings at Nordel Way and at 72nd Avenue, however midway between them exists a well-travelled route that, though not sanctioned by the city, does feature wood-and-earth stairs on one side of the tracks and a wooden boardwalk and footbridge on the other.
| A well-used trail complete with wood-and-earth stairs leads from the North Delta Greenway down to the unsanctioned rail crossing. James Smith photo |
鈥淪he was right near the track, and I said to him, 鈥業t鈥檚 about time for the train.鈥� And so he called her and she looked at him and then we heard the train.鈥�
Gust said she and the man frantically called to his dog as he made a move to grab her, but the train came up too quickly and in a moment was over top the canine.
鈥淗ad she stayed where she was she would have been fine, but she was trying to get away and she went over the actual rail of the train and the train split her right in two,鈥� Gust said, her voice cracking as she fought back tears. 鈥淚t was horrible. He鈥檚 screaming and I鈥檓 screaming, we were both 鈥� I mean, I can鈥檛 even imagine what he鈥檚 feeling but I was hysterical.鈥�
Other people came to their aid from both sides of the tracks, but there was little that could be done. Gust said the man, who appeared to be deeply in shock, picked up his dog鈥檚 remains and walked back into the nature reserve.
鈥淗e took off in towards the bog saying he had to go find something to put her in,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榃here are you going?鈥� and he just kept walking, he was just too much in shock. So I don鈥檛 know where he went. I waited for about 10, 15 minutes and he didn鈥檛 come back.鈥�
Gust on the North Delta Community Corner Facebook group, imploring park users to leash their dogs before crossing the tracks and asking for advice on how to go about petitioning the city for improved signage to warn others of the danger posed by the trains.
| A wooden boardwalk leads from the north-south walking path in the Delta Nature Reserve to the unsanctioned rail crossing. Visibility is limited until one steps into the rail right-of-way. James Smith photo |
Gust said the trails and the crossing are popular with dog walkers and area residents and are used frequently, especially during the summer.
鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of dogs and although they鈥檙e supposed to be leashed in the bog, I would say 95 per cent have their dogs off leash in there, including me,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd there鈥檚 lots of people in there. I鈥檝e seen people standing on the tracks and I鈥檝e said to them, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 stand on here, you won鈥檛 hear that train coming.鈥欌��
Alexandra Gust shot and posted this video of a passenger train travelling past the unsanctioned crossing to show just how quickly and quietly the train can come up on people. (Alexandra Gust/Facebook video)
Her concern is that all that activity on or near the tracks may have even more tragic consequences, as it did earlier this month when 15-year-old Jack Stroud was near Crescent Beach in South Surrey.
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鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of kids and families, and that鈥檚 the other thing. I鈥檝e seen people crossing with their little kids and they鈥檙e holding the baby but they鈥檙e not holding their child鈥檚 hand,鈥� Gust said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 people with strollers in there that are sometimes trying to navigate crossing the tracks. In the summertime, obviously, there鈥檚 lots of kids.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e seen lots of families in there picking the salmon berries 鈥� and picking the blackberries in late August. And that鈥檚 what scares me.鈥�
Several people commented on Gust鈥檚 post to share their own experiences losing pets to passing trains, even some close calls involving people.
鈥淢y friend鈥檚 daughter almost got killed by the train. She stepped out because, same thing, they didn鈥檛 hear it. She stepped and her mom grabbed her from the back and pulled her off and the train flew right past. So it鈥檚 not uncommon,鈥� Gust said. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard stories from at least six people who have lost their dogs down there.鈥�
In an email to the Reporter, director of parks, recreation and culture Ken Kuntz, said the City of Delta does not have statistics on train safety, noting incidents between dogs and trains may not be reported to the city.
A number of commenters on Gust鈥檚 post suggested the city should install an overhead crossing to replace the ground-level one, however Kuntz said the city has no plans to do so as the North Delta Area Plan identifies other locations where pedestrian and cycling improvements would be a higher priority.
鈥淭he pathways that have been established by repeated trespass are not sanctioned by the city and there is signage posted by BNSF at these locations that it is unlawful to cross the tracks,鈥� Kuntz said.
But to casual park users, the crossing hardly looks like an improvised path cut by repeated trespass. As Gust points out, there are stairs built into the hillside leading up to the greenway, and a well-maintained boardwalk and footbridge leading into the nature reserve.
鈥淭hese are not just, you know, a dirt trail. People have put steps in the trail,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is a sign there saying that it鈥檚 private property, but there are bridges built specifically so you can get across [to] the tracks.鈥�
| A weathered sign at the foot of the trail leading from Monroe Drive to the North Delta Greenway advises people use the Nordel Way overpass to access the Delta Nature Reserve. The trail and stairs to the unsanctioned rail crossing are a few metres to the left. James Smith photo |
鈥淚n terms of closing off the trespass pathways, that is very difficult to do. A fence would only partially help as we have found in other areas those that want to trespass just cut holes in the fence material,鈥� he said.
Kuntz said the city is in discussion with Metro Vancouver to have the entire area managed by the district as part of the South Surrey Greenway and as a supporting area to the Burns Bog Conservation Area. Part of that discussion, he said involves some rights of way for utilities.
鈥淥nce those discussions are complete there may be some solutions to better separate the rail line from the pathway,鈥� he said.
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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