Train Horns to Be Silenced at Four Arvada Intersections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 24, 2008

For more information, contact:

Maria VanderKolk, Assistant to the City Manager

(720) 898-7507; (303) 994-6005 (cell), maria-v@arvada.org

TRAIN HORNS TO BE SILENCED AT FOUR ARVADA INTERSECTIONS

Construction of Quiet Zones to commence soon

Arvada, CO . . . . The sound of train horns evokes romantic memories of a bygone era………

Yeah, right.

The sound of train horns, especially at 2:00 a.m., is glaring and obnoxious.  But finally, after years of lobbying and research, by July of 2008 train horns will be silenced at four intersections in Arvada.

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rules specify that trains must sound a locomotive horn while approaching and entering public crossings; however, an exception was created when approved measures have been taken to ensure that safety at the crossing is maintained.  Local governments were granted the authority to create Quiet Zones, in which train horns are not routinely sounded at grade crossings, as long as the local government paid the full cost of establishing the Zones.  The City of Arvada jumped at this opportunity. 

Established in 1870, Arvada’s history is intertwined with the railroads.  Both Union Pacific (UP) and Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) railroad lines run directly through the community, with 20 at-grade crossings.  Traffic problems aside, the requirement for sounding horns at each at-grade crossing, while important for safety, is also detrimental to the quality of life for those living in close proximity.

In considering where to first establish Quiet Zones, and given tight budgets, the City focused on getting the “most quiet bang for the buck,” focusing on the UP tracks that carry an average of 25 trains per day.  (By way of comparison, the BNSF tracks carry four to five trains per day.)  Each at-grade crossing along the UP line was examined from Lamar Street on the east to W. 80th Avenue on the west (a total of nine public crossings).  On April 7, the Arvada City Council authorized a contract between the City and Noraa Concrete Construction Corporation in the amount of $148,433.75 for Quiet Zone construction to the intersections of Pierce Street, Kipling Street, W. 72nd Avenue, and Simms Street with the UP railroad tracks.  Modifications including the construction of short medians on either side of the tracks, along with curb and gutter work, will meet FRA rules and eliminate the routine sounding of locomotive horns at these intersections.

Construction is expected to take approximately six weeks.  Federal Railroad Administration rules require a notification period before the train horns are silenced.  Assuming no delays for construction or weather issues, the Quiet Zones should be fully implemented by July.  Once the Quiet Zones are implemented, the City will evaluate their effectiveness and consider establishing additional Quiet Zones at other railroad crossings as funds become available.

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