Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) will return to the City of North Vancouver (CNV) Council Meeting on Monday, May 9, 2011 to present the results from the long overdue Crossing Assessment Report. In December 2009, CNV City Council approved expenditure of funds on a study to be performed on all at-grade rail crossings on the North Shore between the Second Narrows Bridge and the Lions Gate Bridge. It was recognized that train whistling had become an even more significant issue on the North Shore since June 2009 when noise complaints from residents increased considerably. See the post “Tired of Rail Noise in North Vancouver?” The purpose of the study was to determine how anti-whistling could be achieved for each of the crossings.
The study commenced in early 2010 and the final report has now been approved (almost 1.5 years later) and is being presented to the CNV Council. PMV will present to the District of North Vancouver (DNV) Council on the same evening.
Key Points of the Study
- The study assessed 18 at-grade crossings.
- There were 7 at-grade crossings identified as priorities for anti-whistling.
- A price tag of $2.2 million has been revealed as the cost of achieving anti-whistling for these priority crossings.
- The price tag will drop to $980,000 if North Shore Trade Area projects such as the proposed Low Level Road Improvement Project are approved.
Related Links
- View PMV’s presentation to CNV Council on May 9, 2011.
- View the complete “Road/Rail At-Grade Crossings – North Shore Assessment Report”.
- View CNV’s Council Agenda for May 9, 2011.
- View DNV’s Council Agenda for May 9, 2011.
Video Links
Watch video of PMV’s presentation to the CNV’s Council and DNV’s Council using RealPlayer from www.real.com.
- Watch the video clip of the PMV’s presentation to the City of North Vancouver.
- Watch the video clip of the PMV’s presentation to the District of North Vancouver.
Contributors to the Study
The contributors to the study include: City of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, Port Metro Vancouver, Squamish Nation, Transport Canada, and CN Rail. The study was conducted and report written by AECOM, an independent firm.
Low Level Road Improvement Project
PMV’s proposed Low Level Road Improvement Project includes closure of 3 at-grade rail crossings if the project is approved. Closure of these 3 crossings will effectively stop the whistling. If the project is not approved, then the whistling will continue until alternative solutions are proposed and other funding sources are determined. See PMV’s latest materials on the proposed Low Level Road Improvement Project and the latest May 2011 Project Update. These materials were made available for the recent Community Open House on May 4, 2011.
