Railroad Quiet Zones

During a recent visit with friends on Summit Street here in District 3, I was asked my position regarding the train noise. I explained that I remembered during two separate CAC meetings residents had asked the Commission for relief regarding the noise from the train whistles. At the time it seemed reasonable but appeared to go nowhere with the Commission except for a reference to someone already coming forward and complaining about the noise. One gentleman explained the desire to have quiet zones for Clintonville and briefly explained how a railroad quiet zone works and some costs involved with the program. It appeared he had been part of a group that looked into a quiet zone.

Ironically during my visit a train came by blowing its whistle. It was quite imposing to say the least. I could see how it could be very disruptive to a family and certainly keep you up if blown during the night.

The following information has been gathered from the internet. It comes from a variety of sources. I have attempted to credit the sources for your reference. From what I can gather the process is very involved and can be very expensive depending what type of crossings exist here in Clintonville. The idea would be to have the zone encompass the crossings at Lincoln, Cooke, and Weber Roads. Each crossing would have to have a study performed to determine what would be needed by law in order to apply for a Railroad Quiet Zone.

I would be in favor of a committee being formed to investigate the feasibility of a Railroad Quiet Zone. Only after having public meetings regarding this type of program could we determine whether it is feasible. Without this first step we can never expect government officials to take us seriously.

Definition of  Quiet Zone according to The Federal Railway Administration: 

"A quiet zone is a railroad grade crossing at which trains are prohibited from sounding their horns in order to decrease the noise level for nearby residential communities. The train horns can be silenced only when other safety measures compensate for the absence of the horns."

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) train horn rule provides localities nationwide with the opportunity to establish quiet zones. The federal rule pre-empts all applicable state laws. To qualify, communities wishing to establish quiet zones must equip proposed grade crossings with adequate safety measures to overcome the decrease in safety created by silencing the train horns. The additional safety measures must be constructed at the community’s own expense and must meet federal specifications. The federal rule also contains language which for the first time restricts the volume of train horns.

Click here for more information regarding the FRA's final rule on use of horns, or here for a diagram showing the process for creating a quiet zone. 

From the Norfolk and Southern website;

"General Costs of Safety Measures

Public authorities are responsible for the cost of preliminary engineering, construction, maintenance, and replacement of active warning devices or their components installed at crossings to meet quiet zone standards. Public authorities will be required to enter into a contractual agreement guaranteeing reimbursement to the railroad thirty days after railroad work is completed. Costs to install safety measures vary depending on individual projects. Below are examples of costs:

• Four-Quadrant Gate Systems - $300,000 to $500,000

• Basic Active Warning System* - $185,000 to $400,000

• Basic Inter-Connect - $5,000 to $15,000

• Annual Maintenance - $4,000 to $10,000

*(Includes Flashing Lights and Gates, Constant Warning Time, Power Out Indicator, and Cabin)

At Norfolk Southern our primary concern at rail-highway grade crossings is safety. In regard to quiet zones Norfolk Southern will assist communities as necessary but it is the public authority which is responsible for taking all required steps to assure full compliance with the federal rule."

The folks in North New Jersey have designed this brochure that answers a lot of questions.

The City of Macedonia, Ohio has this website which explains that they used federal stimulus monies.

Finally, the City of Ft. Worth, Texas has an interesting presentation here.

I hope this information is useful. I look forward to speaking with our neighbors about Clintonville’s Railroad Quiet Zone.