If train horns are keeping your residents up at night, it might be time to establish a Railroad Quiet Zone in your community.
The Federal Train Horn Rule requires trains to sound their horns at all public highway-rail crossings unless specifically exempt by the establishment of a Quiet Zone.
A Quiet Zone is a section of a rail line at least one-half mile in length that contains one or more consecutive public highway-rail grade crossings where train horns are not routinely sounded as they approach.
Benefits of a quiet zone
Quiet Zones allow communities to improve their residents’ quality of life by reducing the noise pollution caused by train horns without posing a risk to public safety.
TYPICAL Quiet Zone SUPPLEMENTARY SAFETY MEASURES
To establish a Quiet Zone, communities can install Supplementary Safety Measures (SSMs) to protect the public without loud train horns.
SSMs are Federal Railroad Association (FRA) approved engineering improvements that maximize safety and minimize risks. SSMs are considered an effective substitute for the train horn, including:
Temporary or permanent closure of a public highway-rail grade crossing
Grade separation of the highway/railroad crossing
Four-quadrant gates
Gates with mountable medians and reflective channelization devices
One-Way Streets With Gates
Four-quadrant gates
Credit: Railroad Controls Limited
mountable medians
Credit: railroads.dot.gov
How to Create a Quiet Zone
Submit a Notice of Intent to Create a Quiet Zone.
Communities must provide a Notice of Intent (NOI) to all of the railroads that operate over crossings in the proposed quiet zone, the DOT, and the State agency responsible for crossing safety (the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads in WI).The NOI must list all of the crossings in the proposed quiet zone and give a brief overview of the plans for implementing improvements within the quiet zone. The railroads and State agencies have 60 days in which to provide comments to the public authority on the proposed plan.
Submit an application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) if necessary.
If your Quiet Zone includes Alternative Safety Measures (ASMs), you must submit an application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). ASMs are safety systems used to reduce risk in a quiet zone that do not fully meet the requirements to be SSMs.Install necessary SSMs and/or ASMs at all public, private, and pedestrian crossings within the proposed quiet zone.
Provide a Notice of Quiet Zone Establishment.
This notice must be sent to all railroads that operate over crossings in the proposed quiet zone, the DOT, and the State agency responsible for crossing safety (the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads in WI). The quiet zone can take effect no earlier than 21 days after the date on which the Notice of Quiet Zone Establishment is mailed.
Additional Quiet Zone Information
Train operators are still required to sound their horns in a Quiet Zone if they deem that there is an emergency situation at any of the crossings (i.e. pedestrian on or near the tracks, gate failure, vehicle on or near the tracks).
Periodic updates, including updated USDOT Grade Crossing Inventory Forms, must be submitted to FRA depending on your Quiet Zone safety standards. If all of the crossings have full SSMs, updates are required every 4.5-5 years. If not all the crossings have SSMs (i.e., some have ASMs), then updates are required every 2.5-3 years.
we’re here to help
Establishing Quiet Zones can be a complex process. Our experts work with communities and the FRA on the analysis and study of potential Quiet Zones, the establishment of new Quiet Zones, and completing required periodic renewals for active Quiet Zones.
If you have questions or would like to learn how your R/M can help your community reduce noise pollution without additional risks to public safety, please contact one of our experts today.
