Posts Tagged ‘Shunting Noises’

North Van Port & Rail Expansion Project?

Posted: June 12, 2011 in City of North Vancouver, CN Rail, District of North Vancouver, Low Level Road Improvement Project, Port Metro Vancouver, Shunting Noises, Train Whistles
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The “North Van Port & Rail Expansion Project”, aka the Low Level Road Improvement Project (LLRIP), has been marketed to local residents as a project that will benefit the community in many ways.  Examples include reduced rail noise such as train whistling and shunting, improved road safety, reduced traffic congestion, improved emergency response capabilities, improved slope stability, improved bike lanes, new pedestrian sidewalks, etc.

The missing elements to this marketing campaign are the statement of benefits to the Port and its partners including CN Rail.  The presentation boards and glossy brochures merely state that the project “will enhance rail and port operations” and the only reference to port expansion is the statement: “Provision for two new rail tracks by re-aligning the existing Low Level Road, to improve trade efficiency and reduce noise from rail car switching by facilitating the use of longer trains”.

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PMV: Change of Plans!

Posted: May 1, 2011 in City of North Vancouver, CN Rail, District of North Vancouver, Idling Locomotives, Low Level Road Improvement Project, Port Metro Vancouver, Shunting Noises, Squealing Wheels, Train Whistles
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The event on Wednesday, May 4th has been changed to a Community Open House.  The Town Hall Meeting has been moved to Wednesday, May 25th.

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Town Hall Meeting on May 4th, 2011

Posted: April 20, 2011 in City of North Vancouver, CN Rail, District of North Vancouver, Idling Locomotives, Low Level Road Improvement Project, Port Metro Vancouver, Shunting Noises, Squealing Wheels, Train Whistles
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The Public Information Meeting

Public reaction to Port Metro Vancouver’s (PMV) proposed Low Level Road Improvement Project has prompted the PMV to hold a Town Hall Meeting in conjunction with the City of North Vancouver (CNV).  The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 4th, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, 170 West 3rd Street in North Vancouver.

Many local residents were unaware of this proposed project and the Community Open House held in February 2011, and many residents objected to this project outright or have significant concerns about the design of this project.  This Town Hall Meeting has been organized in response to these concerns.  North Vancouver residents need to attend this event, voice their concerns, ask questions and provide input!

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Blowing the Whistle on Sleep Deprivation

Posted: March 13, 2011 in City of North Vancouver, CN Rail, District of North Vancouver, Idling Locomotives, Shunting Noises, Squealing Wheels, Train Whistles
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It’s that time of year again when our clocks spring forward and give us an extra hour of daylight.  However, many people are bleary-eyed on the Monday after Daylight Savings Time (DST) goes into effect.  The loss of one hour of sleep due to DST can have a significant impact on many people.

On March 9th, ICBC posted a news article on their website entitled “ICBC urges drivers to plan ahead for Daylight Savings Time.” The article compares the loss of sleep to being an impaired driver: “The impact of the loss of an hour sleep can lead to us being impaired as drivers. When most of us think of impaired driving, we think of people who drink and drive. But anything that decreases your ability to judge the situation around you and to react appropriately can be dangerous.”

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Feedback for Low Level Road Improvement Project

Posted: February 16, 2011 in City of North Vancouver, Low Level Road Improvement Project, Port Metro Vancouver, Shunting Noises, Train Whistles
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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.

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PMV’s Community Open House

Posted: February 6, 2011 in City of North Vancouver, CN Rail, Idling Locomotives, Port Metro Vancouver, Shunting Noises, Squealing Wheels, Train Whistles
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Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) is hosting a Community Open House on Thursday, February 10, 2011 at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm for North Vancouver residents to learn more about the proposed Low Level Road Improvement Project.  This infrastructure project will have significant benefits to the rail noise pollution that is currently affecting residents in Lower Lonsdale.  See the recent post A Solution for Lower Lonsdale! for more details about this project.

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A Solution for Lower Lonsdale!

Posted: January 23, 2011 in City of North Vancouver, CN Rail, Idling Locomotives, Port Metro Vancouver, Shunting Noises, Squealing Wheels, Train Whistles
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The Project

On December 13, 2010, Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) gave a presentation to North Vancouver City Council regarding their Low Level Road Improvement Project.  The scope of the project is extensive but the primary components of this project that are relevant to Lower Lonsdale residents affected by rail noise include:

  • Closing the St. Andrew’s uncontrolled crossing
  • Closing the St. Patrick’s uncontrolled crossing
  • Building an overpass close to St. Patrick’s Street for vehicle access to the industrial businesses on the waterfront
  • Building an overpass next to the Neptune and Cargill terminals and closing a 3rd uncontrolled crossing

The primary benefits of these changes mean an improved level of safety because 3 uncontrolled crossings will be closed permanently.  This means that the CN Rail locomotives will not have to blast their whistles at these crossings!

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Tired of Rail Noise in North Vancouver?

Posted: January 23, 2011 in BC Rail, City of North Vancouver, CN Rail, District of North Vancouver, Idling Locomotives, Shunting Noises, Squealing Wheels, Train Whistles
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You are not alone!

Rail noise has long been a problem on the North Shore.  Longstanding problems were further compounded in June 2009 when CN Rail locomotives starting blasting their whistles at all uncontrolled crossings in North Vancouver.  This was the result of a safety audit in the spring of 2009 which indicated that whistles were not being sounded according to required operating procedures.  This increase in whistling throughout the entire North Shore has resulted in an even larger percentage of the resident population being affected by rail noise pollution.

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