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CN Rail has expressed a preference for a crossing at Assiniboine Drive over one at Primrose Drive, Schmidt said.

At the intersection of Warman and Assiniboine, a well-worn diagonal path up the hill on which the tracks are perched indicates where people may have been crossing the tracks despite a sign warning trespassers.

However, the city has not yet submitted a formal application with detailed design to CN Rail, so funding for the potential project will not likely be considered until the 2022-23 budget, Schmidt said.

That seems too long to wait, Donauer said in an interview on Tuesday.

“I’ve been asking about this for a year or two,” Donauer said. “I know the railways can be difficult to deal with, but so are we, I guess.”

People who cross illegally are facing greater scrutiny from both Saskatoon police and CN police, Donauer said.

The effect is being felt beyond those crossing the tracks. Engineers are required to blow the train whistle if someone is spotted on or even near the tracks, which can disturb the entire area, Donauer noted.

Clark weighed in on the long stretch of railway without a crossing at Monday’s meeting.

“That’s got to be one of the biggest barriers to walking and cycling in the entire city, that stretch that you can’t legally get across,” Clark said. “Thousands of jobs in the Northeast Industrial.”

Schmidt said federal funding is available for projects like pedestrian/cycling crossings that enhance safety near rail lines.

Donauer also asked Monday about stopping the whistles where the CN Rail tracks cross Marquis Drive. Schmidt said infrastructure work that could be completed this fall will meet the standards needed to stop the whistles.

Photo by Matt Smith / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

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