Council rejects train whistling ban after Brandon City Council voted unanimously to keep CPKC whistles sounding at the intersection of 34th Street and McDonald Avenue, as reported by The Brandon Sun.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Brandon City Council train whistle decision

The issue came before council in October and centred on the corner of 34th Street and McDonald Avenue. The proposal would have stopped CPKC train whistles at that crossing, with the cost to the city set at $50,660 plus an annual fee of $560, according to an earlier Brandon Sun report on the proposal.

CPKC train whistles at 34th Street and McDonald Avenue

Coun. Barry Cullen (Ward 3), who represents the neighbourhood directly west of 34th Street near the rail line, said the request has been connected to a nearby condo development. Even so, he told council most calls and comments he has received oppose spending municipal money to end the whistling.

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At Tuesday’s budget meeting, Cullen said residents have acknowledged the noise but also told him they chose to move into the area. He added that while the decision may not be popular with the condo development, the feedback he has heard largely supports keeping the current approach.

Costs and safety concerns at a busy street

Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4), who represents the neighbourhood to the east of 34th Street, backed Cullen’s view. He said most residents have “sort of gotten used to that being an element of living in that area” and described the debate as a case where the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Cameron also argued the whistle is a positive from a safety standpoint because the street is busy, a point echoed in Transport Canada’s guidance on stopping train whistling at public grade crossings.

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