20 July 2004 Council Looks to Ban Train Whistles The haunting bellow of a train's whistle as it slips through the night could become a distant memory in Maple Ridge.   On Monday, the District of Maple Ridge rolled out a proposed plan that, if successful, would silence the sounds of whistles on CP Rail's trains as they blow through the district's nine controlled rail crossings 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.   This is not the first time the district has appealed with CP Rail and the Transportation Safety Board to mute train whistles.   The last application was made in 2002 but was denied. However, following changes made to the Railway Safety Act it appears CP Rail and the federal safety board are more willing to consider the whistle cessation application.   "We've been after (a whistle ban) for quite a while," said Ron Roach, property and risk manager for the district. "CP Rail stopped taking applications because they were upgrading their safety regulations to go with the Railway Safety Act. (Now) their far enough along that CP Rail and Transport Canada will consider applications again."   Roach says complaints from the public are the main thrust behind the district's move to once again have train whistles muted in the district, as residential development has sprung up near the tracks, especially in the Hammond and Albion areas.   But before any application for whistle cessation is considered, the district must first conduct a safety assessment study that will examine all the controlled rail crossings in the district to determine if public safety would be undermined if trains sped through them without sounding their whistles first.   Having an independent consultant complete the safety study would cost upwards of $32,000, according to a district report presented to council.   While it's not common for communities to seek train whistle bans, says CP Rail spokesperson Ed Greenberg, some have been successful in convincing the safety board trains can pass safely through town without them, with Pitt Meadows being one example.   "Certainly by law we're required to blow the whistles but it is a safety device for us we feel is designed to prevent loss of life and accidents. But saying that we will work with Maple Ridge (to help them guide their application," Greenberg told the Times from Calgary Monday.   That means Maple Ridge must be able to demonstrate local rail crossings have adequate signage, gates and warning bells already in place before a whistle ban would be entertained by the federal safety board.   According to Greenberg, there are 400 collisions at controlled rail crossings across Canada each year accounting for 100 fatalities.   - Trains first appeared in Maple Ridge in the mid 1800s. While it's no secret the train tracks preceded residential development, Mayor Kathy Morse said it's also a "quality of life issue" to be considered when dealing with train whistle noise.