A City of Ottawa study has concluded overpasses or underpasses are needed at five rail crossings, including the site of a fatal crash between a double-decker city bus and a Via Rail passenger train four years ago — but Via and other levels of government will have to help cover the cost.

The study was commissioned last year after the Transportation Safety Board recommended the city once again consider the need for such crossings, in the wake of the fatal Barrhaven crash on Sept. 18, 2013.

Six people died and dozens of others were injured in that collision.

The study, published Wednesday in advance of next week's meeting of the city's transportation committee, concludes the rail crossings at Woodroffe Avenue, the Transitway, Fallowfield Road, Merivale Road and Jockvale Road should all be grade separated "due to the existing and anticipated increases in road, Transitway and rail traffic."

Overpasses recommended at Woodroffe, Transitway and Fallowfield

The cost to revamp all five crossings is estimated at $430 million, meaning the city will need to do the work in phases and will also need help from Via and the federal and provincial governments.

The city looked into grade separation at several level rail crossings more than a decade ago, but high costs, geotechnical issues and other factors led the city to decide against grade separation at those locations.

Investigators with the transportation safety board in 2013 examine the scene of the fatal bus crash involving a Via Rail train. The city has examined the costs to replace the crossing with an overpass. (CBC)

Overpasses are now recommended for the Woodroffe, Transitway and Fallowfield locations because of previously identified soil and hydrogeological conditions, while underpasses are recommended for Merivale Road and Jockvale Road.

The three overpasses should be the first projects tackled, followed by Merivale Road and then Jockvale Road, the study said.

But because of the number of pedestrians and cyclists at Jockvale, city staff say a multi-use path underpass for the crossing should be built in the near term

'Human lives would've been saved'

Daljit Nirman was a regular passenger on the number 76 bus that was involved in the 2013 crash, though he wasn't on the bus that day. He organized a petition with advocating for an overpass or underpass at the Fallowfield Road railway crossing.

"There should not be any further delays on this," Nirman said. "Human lives would've been saved. Many families would not have gone through that trauma they have gone through."

Ottawa lawyer Daljit Nirman organized a petition for an overpass or underpass at a controversial Barrhaven rail crossing. (CBC)

City staff are recommending the establishment of the Barrhaven Rail Safety Program, which would begin work on environmental assessments for the three potential overpass locations and the multi-use pathway.

Staff are also recommending delegating authority to Mayor Jim Watson, transportation committee chair Keith Egli and local councillor Jan Harder to seek funding from the federal and provincial government and Via for the design and construction phase of the projects.

In a statement Wednesday evening, Via said rail crossings are the responsibility of the body that has authority over the roads and that "the ultimate design and funding of these undertakings remains their decision."

The company said it has participated in funding studies and design activities, and it did provide some funding for the report on separated-grade crossings.

Egli said the staff report puts the city on solid footing to request funding from other levels of government.

"This is not something that we can do on our own," Egli said. "It's just a question of being ready to go when the funding opportunities come up. As you know, many of the funding programs that come at the provincial or federal levels, one of the requirements is you need to be shovel-ready."

Transportation Committee chair <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithEgli">@KeithEgli</a> responds to the report recommending separated grade Via Rail crossings <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ottnews?src=hash">#ottnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/XMFeJhbtaY">pic.twitter.com/XMFeJhbtaY</a> —@matthewkupfer

Nirman said he feels the city should not have to ask for funding for such an important piece of infrastructure.

"I think it should be [the] other way around. The federal government should come on its own, helping the city in moving this project forward."