[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6233260,"mediaKeyId","3423881-839719749aa31c0c1bf0bff2d550c92f","parentId",3423881,"title","Fall River residents raise alarms about nighttime noise, idling at Weavers Cove layover; city and MBTA to review","audioSeconds",2943,"startMs",70000,"endMs",3013000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3423881-839719749aa31c0c1bf0bff2d550c92f&start=70&end=3013","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3423881-839719749aa31c0c1bf0bff2d550c92f/thumbnail_70000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6233260/Fall-River-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Fall-River-residents-raise-alarms-about-nighttime-noise-idling-at-Weavers-Cove-layover-city-and-MBTA-to-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6233260-b26e59f17c171044f8c86da079771af9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141332&Signature=kkYdmFz4UZmZ8kfbPaLOt7QI1jstGsmW2UgBaUhpLNvcYKHvDPrSd8DgTuRdcfvJnA2s0nIy~xQJ5EplecLNjkipk-claOgd2j7rhBxFR9D9kB3CJqUXmjjCVlj9G2Pbbgnax2vvbAPW9NHJ2tC5gmgDrUXcshyjSmlFMCiuxmoDSSK-A6CfQGaZzKR-0mUjBiLavT0Mz79SSstRs~sAZn8z9oEc~eVOz4xScj2PgnGQZAvwHyTb2j3JakzM0CYkAaYv0rkuw9X2OC3uFPjkgjWDsRb06CTSJ62FQ1aWfLmpIYSTvtAYseRYSFLS5kzsyuzQ0YosTaG4IeAVBEon~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fall River City, MA","date","2025-05-21T12:29:05.093Z","article","Residents living near the Weavers Cove layover told the Fall River City Public Safety Committee on May 19 that nighttime train noise and engine idling are disrupting sleep and damaging property, and they asked city and MBTA officials for immediate remedies.

Dr. Powell, who lives on North Main Street across from the layover, cited World Health Organization guidance and equipment readings to describe what she said were repeated late-night disturbances. \"The World Health Organization recommends that nighttime noise levels in urban settings should not exceed 40 decibels outside a home to protect health and human well-being,\" she said, and told the committee she measured an \"average continuous sound level of 61.6 decibels\" on May 2 at about 10:55 p.m. She also read a separate iPhone measurement of \"60.4 decibels\" at 1 a.m. during the May 4–5 period.

The noise complaints included two recurring concerns: long periods when locomotives are left running at the layover (what residents described as idling), and horn blasts required near crossings. Resident Ollie Spears told the committee the vibrations have affected his home: \"My foundation of my wall definitely just [is] falling apart,\" he said, and said he must use white noise at night because he cannot sleep through the disturbances.

City emergency-management and public-safety officials said they are coordinating with MBTA and railroad operators to clarify operational practices at Weavers Cove and to seek mitigation. Gene Fox of South Coast Rail and Jean Fox (MBTA representative identified in meeting materials) said the MBTA and its operator monitor operations and that some activities are federally regulated. Jean Fox noted that train horns are a federal safety requirement and that communities can explore Quiet Zones only through a Federal Railroad Administration process; she also explained operational limits the operator follows. \"Evidently, that's the Keolis protocol. If it gets below 10 degrees, they're gonna make them run anyway,\" she said during discussion of cold-weather idling.

Officials told the committee that the activity level at Weavers Cove has been higher than initially anticipated, and they will ask railroad operations and Keolis to clarify the distinction between \"light maintenance\" (the stated purpose for the layover) and \"major maintenance\" that would justify more intensive overnight work. Council members and staff said they will raise residents' concerns directly with the MBTA and Keolis at a follow-up public meeting on Thursday and in a scheduled tabletop exercise and public-safety coordination meeting on June 10.

Committee members and staff discussed mitigation options that will be raised with MBTA and the operator, including vegetation (berms and trees), changes to overnight work timing, and operational adjustments to reduce idling. Dr. Powell offered to help plant vegetation: \"I will volunteer to buy 20 trees,\" she told the committee.

Officials also described notification and enforcement tools for safety and trespass prevention, and said they will continue to collect complaints and objective measurements to inform any formal requests to the MBTA for operational changes. The committee did not adopt a new ordinance or formal policy during the meeting; members said city staff will pursue further information and present findings at upcoming public sessions.

Ending: Committee leaders reiterated that state and MBTA officials will be invited to the Thursday public meeting and to the June 10 tabletop exercise where operational thresholds, overnight procedures, and specific mitigation measures will be discussed further.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5.19.2025 City Council - Public Safety","oneSentenceSummary","Residents near the Weavers Cove rail layover told the Fall River Public Safety Committee on May 19 that late-night train noise and engine idling are disrupting sleep and damaging property; city and MBTA representatives said they will press the operator for clarification of overnight maintenance and mitigation.","taxTitle","Fall River City, Bristol County, Massachusetts","taxId",4215,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6233255,"Fall River public-safety committee outlines North End evacuation plan; tabletop exercise set for June 10",853,691000,1544000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3423881-839719749aa31c0c1bf0bff2d550c92f&start=691&end=1544","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3423881-839719749aa31c0c1bf0bff2d550c92f/thumbnail_691000.jpg","/articles/6233255/Fall-River-City/Bristol-County/Massachusetts/Fall-River-public-safety-committee-outlines-North-End-evacuation-plan-tabletop-exercise-set-for-June-10","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6233255-888c7dbbb13cf50b0c796eb3e9dce6f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141332&Signature=eV6NmrQFrivDVus0E1oQGU8j3B61gpSHzYdjmr1F~72~gohe7XcU5f7dGQFwQxewnkEKHFbpmKrZQ5wwJH1BehA-xdm2SzIlHxdxWmbkK4dpi~1HkQHpHGRiCM5zPtgkXKOnGLWfe-nkGHTbVTrumd6j4bJrLuINFSFK88HVZZ1FIFebpVUtbYcFGNycDvJhGqfdAjcnOlmthIj8hO07lG-wCeAMicfg8g8H5ySHw1ez3JUx5RK1FkHeMjIQm7YeeN6uBs3M5BkfSm8qkBTllRZoumoslTUj~lK3ZMlWQO6-jielHthVTd08q8oyNd-cnscP-pdJwY~YQ92mZmTNrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Fall River emergency-management and public-safety officials presented an evacuation plan for the North End at the Public Safety Committee meeting on May 19 and said they will run a tabletop exercise on June 10 to coordinate response among fire, police and EMS.

Richard Aga, director of emergency management, said the plan maps evacuation zones in the North End and assigns receiving locations such as local schools and community centers. \"The evacuation plan is going to tell you exactly what to do if you have to evacuate the North End for any particular reason,\" he said, describing staged shelter locations and bus transportation agreements for displaced residents.

Officials told the committee the plan was prepared to meet Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) requirements and will be submitted to MEMA as an addendum to the city’s larger risk-response book. The plan identifies primary shelters and assembly points including St. Joseph School, Durfee High School and Sylvia School for different evacuation zones and notes arrangements with bus companies and EMS for transport to medical facilities when necessary.

City staff described the preferred default action for most rail incidents as shelter-in-place until authorities determine an evacuation is necessary. Police and fire officials said they will use centralized command and established public-notification tools — television channels, cable, social media, the existing reverse-911 system and state-level alert mechanisms — to instruct residents, and emphasized that unnecessary self-evacuation could hinder emergency response.

Officials discussed mutual-aid logistics: MBTA has provided extrication and evacuation equipment allocated by the Bristol County Fire Chiefs Association, and public-safety leaders said they are coordinating ambulance coverage with neighboring dispatch centers to preserve other city services if a large incident occurs. \"MBTA provided over $900,000 worth of extrication and evacuation equipment to local fire departments,\" Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said, and committee members described a mutual-aid plan to allocate those resources where needed.

The committee also reviewed non-incident risk-reduction topics raised by residents, including trespass and vehicle access onto the railroad right-of-way. Council members urged additional fencing, lighting and the possible placement of Jersey barriers at identified vehicle-into-track access points to reduce accidental incursions.

Officials said training has already begun: personnel completed online modules and a recent hands-on session to familiarize responders with train access and extrication challenges; further periodic training and coordination with regional partners is planned. No formal policy or ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff will return with further details after the June 10 tabletop and the scheduled Thursday public meeting with state and MBTA representatives.","City emergency-management and public-safety officials presented an evacuation and shelter-in-place plan for the North End in case of a rail incident at a May 19 committee meeting. Officials described assigned shelters, notification procedures, resource allocations and upcoming training and coordination exercises.","actionData","errors"]

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Fall River residents raise alarms about nighttime noise, idling at Weavers Cove layover; city and MBTA to review

Fall River public-safety committee outlines North End evacuation plan; tabletop exercise set for June 10