Alternate locomotive horn studied
Information provided by the Town of Castle Rock
Although Douglas County has agreed to create a quiet zone along the Sante Fe corridor adjacent to homes in Castle Pines Village (see story: www.castlepinesconnection.com/pages/news/2012/qtr1/cpc3/quietZone.html), the Town of Castle Rock is still exploring alternatives for its residents. As Town Council prepares to consider a railroad quiet zone for Castle Rock, council members will hear a demonstration of another option for reducing train noise – a wayside horn.
Town Council, along with members of various boards and commissions and the public attended a demonstration at the Second Street railroad crossing in late July.
Federal rules require locomotive engineers to sound train horns in advance of all public at-grade railroad crossings. In Castle Rock, there are differing opinions of these horns. Some think of the horns as part of downtown’s charm; others find them a nuisance.
The federal rules allow communities to establish “quiet zones,” where the horns are not required – if the risks caused by the absence of a horn are mitigated. Generally, this involves installing more secure gates at each crossing, though there are other options the Town is exploring, including the wayside horn.
A wayside horn is located at the crossing and automatically sounds as a train approaches. Because it is located at the crossing rather than on the train, the horn’s sound impacts a smaller area. Train horns must be sounded at least 20 seconds before entering a crossing, which means the sound could start up to one-quarter mile away from the crossing.
Installing secure gates at the railroad crossings at Second St. and Third St. is another option, which has been estimated to cost in the ballpark of $1 million. The Town is awaiting a current estimate from Union Pacific Railroad.
The request to establish a quiet zone in downtown dates back to at least 2007. The possibility of the project was raised in 2008 and 2009 but was deferred due to the recession. Now, the quiet zone is part of the Town’s 2013-2015 Balanced Financial Plan, approved by Town Council in December 2012. (Learn more at CRgov.com/balancedplan).
Town Council will discuss the issue again once the Town receives a current cost estimate on the secure gates from Union Pacific Railroad. The Town will issue a news release once this report is received and the meeting is set.
For more information, contact Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering Manager Bob Watts at 303-814-6415 or by e-mail bwatts@crgov.com.
