The Community Open House hosted by Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) and the City of North Vancouver on Thursday, February 10, 2011 outlined the proposed Low Level Road Improvement Project. There were many large presentation boards available for viewing and members of the Project Team were on hand to speak directly with participants to explain the project and answer participants’ questions. The event was a drop-in format so one could spend as much time or as little time as desired.
The presentations boards were well done and illustrated the specific changes that are proposed for the Low Level road. The proposed changes will close 3 uncontrolled rail crossings which will eliminate the need for train whistles. Changes to the rail yard will reduce shunting noises of trains. The PMV has updated their project website with a document containing the Presentation Boards.
Feedback from the community is important to this project as the Project Team will use this input to refine the design. They have provided a Feedback Form on their website. A deadline of Monday, February 21st has been set to submit feedback for the Project Team’s consideration. There are several ways to submit your feedback:
- Fax: 1.866.284.4271
- Mail: 100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place Vancouver, BC, V6C 3T4
- E-mail: public_affairs@portmetrovancouver.com
Please take some time to review the materials available and submit your feedback to the PMV!
The price tag for the Low Level Road improvement is reported in the North Shore Outlook as $100 million. This does not include the areas west of Lonsdale or Norgate in the District of North Vancouver. The cost of silencing CN trains is far too high, there are cheaper ways of doing it including having CN contribute to the major part of the costs as they are the ones creating the problem, not the taxpayers.
The reported $100 million sounds like a combined total of the costs for both the Low Level Road Realignment project and the Neptune/Cargill Overpass project. While these projects will significantly reduce rail noise, the scope of these projects is very broad and will address improvements to the overall transportation infrastructure in the Lower Lonsdale area. The encouraging aspect to these projects is that Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) is considering the impact of infrastructure change on local residents and is including changes that will positively benefit the community such as reduced rail noise.
You are absolutely correct that this price tag does not include areas west of Lonsdale or Norgate, and these communities have long been affected by CN rail noise. See the PMV website for projects on the horizon that may benefit these communities:
http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/en/projects/ongoing_projects/NorthShoreTradeArea.aspx.
Since St George Street overpass has been opened there has been access to the train yard from there but still the Saint Andrews Street access has remainded open and subject too the crossing whisles (which seem to get louder, longer and more often lately).
The fact that this crossing has not been closed makes me believe that our elected officals don’t care very much. Very likely they all live in West Vancovuer where the trains are not allowed to whisle! We are all equal, some are just more equal then others.
My rant sorry
I had a bad (sleepless) night
PS: Did you know that sleep deprivation is commonly used as a form of torture?
Christine
The trains have been whistling more lately it seems. I have to say that the comment about people living is West Van and not caring is a bit of a bash to those that live in west van. I live on 4th just near the bus depot and so get the noise, pollution, and incredibly, vibration, from the buses! …. and then of course there are the explosions that have occured 3 time in the past few months at the power station. This area is great for many reasons, but a terrible place for peace of mind, health and getting a good nights sleep. Sadly it is/was the only place I could afford to buy…so wouldn’t it be nice if we had lower taxes than other areas, in consideration of the dangers we incur, living here.
Christine, your question about the St. George’s road being opened and the St. Andrew’s crossing not being closed is an excellent one but should be qualified with “when will St. Andrew’s be closed?”. Did you attend the PMV’s recent Community Open House and ask one of the Project Team members your question? Did you submit feedback to them?
Closing the St. Andrew’s crossing is part of the proposed Low Level Road Improvement Project. This project is still in the planning stages and has not yet been formally approved. If approved, it will take some time to close this crossing. Planning and implementation of large projects takes time so patience is needed. The good news is that there is a proposed solution. The reality is that it will take time to implement.
City of North Vancouver elected officials are well aware of the whistling effects on the community. City Council approved the Community Consultation phase of the project (and hence the Community Open House) because they support the project and the benefits that this project will bring to the community.
BTW, trains whistled in West Vancouver years ago until anti-whistling bylaws were put in place.
Re: your rant. Don’t be sorry. Constant train whistles (as well as other rail noise) in close proximity to local residents affects people’s health. Unfortunately, current federal legislation doesn’t take this into account. You are not alone in sleep deprivation.
I say “NO” to the plans that is going to happen, my family has been living on east 2nd Street the 700 block that is for over 40 years and I tell you it hasn’t been easy with those trains and traffic on the lower road. With the so called “Spirit Trail” now tarred over what else is going to happen, now the lower road is coming up to meet us, we live in a what was a beautifull park but now it s thinned due to trees been cut down for this “Spirit Trail”. The traffic on the lower road is loud and annouying, it’s 24hrs a day 7 days a week. we have lost a lot of the park because of the Trail. Traffic congestion on the lower road is a problem but I have never seen a bumper to bumper traffic going west on 3rd street always going east, so I will be attending the meeting on May 25th and hopefully have a say at this meeting. Do they also know that the wheat poole is sinking into the water. it has gone down a lot since we moved into this building .
When is the next election. We need to replace those who do nothing for the residents of NV. We need to elect people who will stand up for us against these companies. We need someone who cares about the health of the residents over the big profits of these companies.
With the current government things will get progressively worse. Expansion without noise mitigation is only one issue.
How about another health issue that this government chooses to ignore; almost all cities in the metro Vancouver area have banned smoking on patios and even beaches and parks. We have mayor and councils that only talks about addressing this issue and keeps putting it off year after year with no regard for our health and the health of our children.
Time for change, time for a government that respects the people who elect them and not just business interests alone.
The next civic election is Saturday, November 19, 2011. See: http://www.cnv.org//server.aspx?c=1&i=290.
It is has only ever been about getting two new lines !
Absolutely! View the post North Van Port & Rail Expansion Project? that references PMV’s North Shore Trade Area Study (NTSA) Report. The report was completed in September 2008 and identifies 2 new rail lines as part of the port / rail expansion on page 55 of the PDF file.