Calls grow for RR quiet zones

SANDPOINT — Steve Wolfe is thinking of moving from his home in Vancouver, Wash., to Sandpoint when he retires. One factor that may stand in the way, however, is noise pollution.

“One of our concerns is living too close to train whistles," he said.

Wolfe is by no means alone. City officials have discussed creating quiet zones at municipal railroad crossings over the past few years in response to resident complaints.

“A number of residents voiced their opinions, saying the train noise is bringing down the quality of life in the city,” according to a November 2014 KHQ news report.

The problem is safety regulations mandate that engineers blow warning blasts when approaching intersections. The limit for loudness of train horns is 110 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise of a chain saw, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. It falls into the “extremely loud” category.

“In a quiet zone, railroads have been directed to cease the routine sounding of their horns when approaching public highway-rail grade crossings. Train horns may still be used in emergency situations or to comply with other federal regulations or railroad operating rules. Localities desiring to establish a quiet zone are first required to mitigate the increased risk caused by the absence of a horn,” according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

City officials targeted six intersections where quiet zones would benefit residents. Early in 2015, they determined two would require minimal upgrades to meet quiet zone safety standards and an investment of approximately $60,000.

However, the remaining four crossings would require more costly retrofits to meet quiet zone safety standards. Former Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk estimated in February 2015 that two of these would cost between $250,000 and $300,000 while each of the remaining crossings could cost the city as much as $750,000 to satisfy FRA requirements.

"The city has $60,000 budgeted this fiscal year to install safety measures at the Boyer Avenue and Great Northern Road Burlington Railroad crossings. Primarily this will involve the installation of curbing to prevent drivers from going around the gates. We will be hiring an engineering consultant in the next few months to assist with the project and serve as a liaison with the railroad as this work requires their approval," said City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton recently.

Sandpoint decision makers are committed to creating quiet zones at other railroad crossings on their original list in the future.  They are also looking at designating a whistle-free zone at the crossing on Baldy Mountain Road near the proposed wastewater treatment facility, she said.

"These efforts will require us to coordinate with Bonner County and other adjacent municipalities in order to pursue grant funding for these improvements," said Stapleton.

Wolfe has another, possibly more expedient, suggestion: fixing the problem at the source — the FRA rulebook.

“The Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration is currently taking public comment on the regulations regarding establishment of 'quiet zones' at rail crossings. This would seem to be something that would benefit several areas of Sandpoint that have crossings with gates already, but would face a protracted and costly process to establish quiet zones,” he said.

The FRA issued a notice March 7, 2016, that officials plan to review the safety considerations of using locomotive horns at public highway-rail grade crossings. These are intersections of the tracks and roads owned and maintained by a public entity, such as the city, according to the Federal HIghway Association.

“FRA is specifically interested in receiving comments on how the agency can reduce the regulatory burden on the regulated community and the public in a way that would provide monetary savings or reduce paperwork burdens without negatively impacting safety at public grade crossings,” according to the notice.

A few of the questions people may want to address in their public comments to FRA, according to the agency, include:

n How can FRA decrease the barriers local communities encounter when establishing a quiet zone? n What further actions can FRA take to mitigate train horn noise impacts for local communities while not decreasing safety for motorists and pedestrians? n How can FRA change how train horns are sounded at grade crossings while not decreasing safety for motorists and pedestrians? n Should train speed be a factor that is considered when establishing a new quiet zone? n Should there be an online process for submitting quiet zone notices, applications, and required paperwork, in whole or in part? n Should 49 CFR part 222 allow greater variances in highway-rail configurations when determining safety calculations for local communities establishing quiet zones? If so, whatvariances would be appropriate?

Wolfe's hometown has already established whistle-free railroad crossings, but private citizens with property in the affected areas stepped forward to foot the bill. In Vancouver, property owners paid for medians, additional lighting, signs and striping for quiet zone crossings. The cost per family ranged from $743 to $2,475, according to The Columbian.

The FRA's public comment period offers Sandpoint residents the opportunity to approach the noise pollution problem from a new angle. People should submit their comments to: Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590 by July 6, 2016. Be sure to reference 49 CFR Part 222 and docket number FRA-2016-0010 in the letter.

Information: http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17372