(The following story by Steve Ritea appeared on the Newsday website on August 2.)
NEW YORK — Benjamin Weinstock stood beside an idling train in Cedarhurst Thursday, ears still recovering from a series of horn blasts, nodding his head with cautious approval.
“That was actually much better,” said the village’s deputy mayor, comparing a modified horn tested by the Long Island Rail Road to the louder, traditional one his constituents have complained about for nearly two years now. “It was less startling.”
Responding to residents in Cedarhurst and other communities with numerous grade crossings – where train horns are required to sound before passing – and densely packed homes and apartments along the tracks, LIRR President Helena Williams said the new horns are aimed at improving the quality of life in those areas.
“We recognize this is a significant issue for Cedarhurst as well as other communities on Long Island,” she said. “We want, as a railroad, to be responsive to them.”
Officials were still assessing decibel levels measured at Thursday’s test, so it remains to be seen if the new horn will be installed in 836 cars at a cost of about $1.4 million.
Meanwhile, Williams said the LIRR would also be asking the Federal Railroad Administration for a waiver from a nationwide rule that requires horns to be sounded at a minimum decibel level of 96, about as loud as the screech of a train on a subway platform.