Sandpoint explores funding of railroad quiet zones

SANDPOINT — Despite the fact that trains have been rumbling through the city since the late 19th century, and blowing their horns as they went, some folks are ready for a respite from the noise.

After  citizen inquiries, the City Council asked city staff in September to explore the possibility of creating railroad “quiet zones” that would put a halt to over a century of railroad horns.

The council finally heard that report at its regular meeting Wednesday, and voted to consider including in next year’s budget the cost of some necessary upgrades that would make two of six railroad crossings in the city limits eligible for quiet zone designation.

There’s good news and bad news in the city’s efforts, however, depending on one’s physical address and opinion of trains in general. The good news is that two of the six crossings that exist within the city limits would qualify — after some minor investment by the city — for quiet zone designation. Those intersections are also the closest to Sandpoint’s denser residential areas, and on tracks that carry the most train traffic.

The two intersections — Great Northern Road and Boyer Avenue, both north of Baldy Road — cross Burlington Northern Santa Fe track, which carry the bulk of train traffic through Sandpoint — 42 trains per day, according to Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk.

However, there is still work to be done to bring the two BNSF crossings up to the standards required by the Federal Railroad Administration for quiet zone designation. The city would need to invest an estimated $60,000 for “supplemental safety measures,” such as a raised median, or other channelization or mitigation measures at the crossings.

Because of the volume of train traffic, and the location of the two intersections near residential areas, the noise reduction could be relatively significant.

“A very high percentage of trains would be affected,” Van Dyk told the council.

That’s the good news. The bad news is the other four railroad at-grade intersections would require a more significant investment to bring them up to FRA quiet zone standards.

Union Pacific track that crosses Division and Boyer Avenues south of Baldy Road, only carry four to five trains per day, Van Dyk told the council. With assistance from the UP personnel, Van Dyk estimated it would cost the city between $250,000 and $300,000 per intersection to bring them up to FRA standards. And those are the cheap intersections.

The two remaining BNSF intersections at East Mountain View Drive and Woodland Drive on the north end of Sandpoint would require an investment upwards of $750,000 each to qualify, Van Dyk said.

After some discussion, including the possibility of using wayside horns, the council voted to consider in next year’s city budget the cost to bring the Great Northern and Boyer intersections up to FRA quiet zone standards. They also directed city staff to consider cost-sharing alternatives with local municipalities, and to investigate how other cities have funded quiet zones.

“I think that would be money well spent,” Councilman Shelby Rognstad said of the investment in the two intersections.

Councilman Bob Camp agreed, citing previous testimony from citizens. “I think this would be a win-win for Sandpoint,” he said.

Federal regulations require trains to sound their horns 15 to 20 seconds before crossing an at-grade road or highway. Those regulations also require quiet zones to be at least a half-mile in length — the Great Northern Road and Boyer Avenue intersections qualify — where trains are released from the requirement to blow their horns ahead of an intersection, according to the FRA.

For that to happen the FRA requires that each crossing be equipped with active warning devices and supplemental safety measures before they will approve a quiet zone.