A Saint John man wants to put the brakes on overnight train traffic within city limits.
Douglas James has written a letter to Common Council with a request to ban rail traffic from midnight to 6 a.m.
James says the city calls itself a healthy community — but won’t look at the issue of excessive noise from train whistles that disturb people’s sleep.
“Sleep disturbance is a well-known risk to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being,” says James in his letter, dated March 17. “The World Health Organization has recognized environmental noise as harmful pollution, with adverse psychosocial and physiological effects on public health.”
James goes on to say his request is not unreasonable given the city already exercises control over many activities of citizens and businesses, including prohibiting excessive noise and allowing truck traffic only on designated routes.
He says Saint John won’t be able to attract new residents “without a firm demonstration by elected representatives that this is a community that values the health of its citizens.”
The letter appears in Monday night’s Common Council agenda with a “receive for information” recommendation.
