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<br /> <br />ECC <br />UGENE ITY OUNCIL <br />AIS <br />GENDA TEM UMMARY <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Work Session: Railroad Quiet Zone Update <br /> <br /> <br />Meeting Date: June 26, 2006 Agenda Item Number: C <br />Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Tom Larsen <br />www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-4959 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ISSUE STATEMENT <br /> <br />The council asked for an update on the issue of train horn noise and the potential for establishing a Quiet <br />Zone in which the routine sounding of train horns at specific railroad crossings would cease. In any <br />proposed Quiet Zone, train horns would continue to be sounded for pedestrians, animals or other hazards <br />on or near the track, other trains, switching activities, warning device malfunction and any other <br />operating procedures of the railroad or in any other emergency as determined by the train engineer. <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />An explanation of the new Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rule allowing local jurisdictions to <br />obtain a Quiet Zone (QZ) was presented to the council on July 20, 2005. The new rule shortened the <br />time horns sound prior to a crossing, set a maximum level (110 dB) for train horns and set criteria and a <br />process for local communities to establish a Quiet Zone wherein the routine horn sounding for crossings <br />could be eliminated. A Quiet Zone will not eliminate all horns sounding. The area identified for a <br />potential QZ included the ten railroad crossings from Van Buren Street on the west to Hilyard Street at <br />Eighth Avenue on the east. A major unknown cost component at that time was the possible need for <br />additional railroad detection/pre-emption equipment, estimated at about $2 million. No federal or state <br />funding is available for the crossing improvements needed to establish a QZ. The FRA position is that <br />Quiet Zones are a local livability issue and the cost should be borne by local authorities. The council did <br />not authorize or fund creation of a Quiet Zone. There was recognition that initial Supplemental Safety <br />Measure (SSM) installation might not be adequate to obtain a QZ but would be a step toward a future <br />QZ. At the July 20, 2005, meeting, the City Council directed staff to: <br />Further refine cost estimates for specific construction of several of the Supplemental Safety <br />? <br /> <br /> Measures (SSM) required by the FRA to obtain a Quiet Zone. <br />Monitor the QZ process and evaluate the progress made by other jurisdictions. <br />? <br /> <br /> <br />Cost Estimates <br />Union Pacific RR verified that the additional detection/pre-emption circuitry at a cost of $2 million is <br />not needed. A copy of the updated cost memo to the Eugene Budget Committee is included as <br />Attachment A. The SSMs most likely to be included in a future Eugene area QZ are four-quadrant gates <br />with presence detection and median islands. The range of costs for SSMs is: <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060626\S060626C.doc <br /> <br />