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

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…