(The following story by Anne Marie Kilday appeared on the Houston Chronicle website on November 4.)
HOUSTON — The city of Houston’s plans to create a “quiet zone” along the Union Pacific’s railroad tracks that bisect the cities of Bellaire, West University Place and several Houston neighborhoods are “on track,” District G City Councilwoman Pam Holm said Tuesday.
“The city of Houston is going to begin implementing a quiet zone,” Holm said. “We’ve worked with Union Pacific, with the cities of Bellaire and West University Place. Each of the intersections have been identified as to what the need is.
“It is my understanding that not only will we be the first quiet zone in Houston, we will be the first in the United States.”
Holm said the city is prepared to spend $200,000 to install safety devices at intersections along the railroad tracks to meet standards set by the federal government.
“We will be looking to other sources to help us out,” Holm said. Hopefully, we will (also) get some private funds to help us out.”
Representatives of the Union Pacific railroad, the city of Houston and the Federal Railroad Administration will discuss the plans Tuesday at a meeting at the St. Regis Hotel, Bellaire City Manager Bernie Satterwhite said Monday night.
“The FRA, the Union Pacific and the city of Houston have worked out a plan for (a quiet zone) for every single crossing in that corridor,” Satterwhite said. “The city of Houston at this time seems to be willing to undertake implementation of that plan.”
West U. residents Kristin Palmer and Brian Antweil initially brought up the idea of a ban on locomotive engines’ whistles nearly two years ago. They set up an e-mail account to gauge public support for silencing the noisy train whistles, and quickly found out that many other West U., Bellaire and Houston residents were interested in approaching city officials about creating a quiet zone along the railroad tracks.
They also learned they were correct about an apparent increase in train noise. After Union Pacific bought out the Southern Pacific Railroad, train traffic through central Houston increased from an average of nine or 10 trains each day to almost 40 trains each day.
When the West U. City Council held a public hearing on the issue in the spring of 2003, citizens from West U., Bellaire and Houston packed the council chambers to plead for quiet nights without the loud locomotive whistles.
Meanwhile, federal regulations aimed at banning train whistles had been pending since 1984 at a little-known division of the U.S. Department of Transportation — the Federal Railroad Administration. The new regulations were believed to be a long way off.
But last December, the FRA released a new set of regulations aimed at allowing communities to ban noisy locomotive horns and whistles. The new rules provide that some supplemental safety devices must be in place to protect motorists from crossing railroad tracks.
Although the agency had been studying several “supplemental safety measures” to improve public safety at railroad crossings, some of those devices cost up to $250,000 per intersection. The rules announced late last year provide some less expensive ways to silence train whistles while preventing train-vehicle collisions.
When the proposed final rule was announced, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said it was aimed at making it easier for local officials to establish quiet zones along rail corridors.
Although the FRA has extended a public comment period on the proposed new rules until April 19, 2005, the final rules are scheduled to take effect in December.
Before the final adoption of the rules, cities can begin taking steps to create “quiet zones.”
“The next step is to go through the process of application,” Holm said. “We will have our application submitted on the first day that they are being accepted by the FRA.”
Holm credited Palmer, Antweil and Houston resident Frank McCollum for their efforts to study and coordinate the efforts to get the quiet zone.