(The following article by Michael Coronado was posted on the Press-Enterprise website on October 22.)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Years of noisy frustration will soon lessen for residents living near train crossings.
The Riverside City Council approved a $146,100 bid Tuesday to install automated horn systems at six Union Pacific railroad crossings throughout the city.
An automated horn system is designed to reduce train horn noise in surrounding neighborhoods by eliminating the need for train engineers to manually blow their electric horns from a distance as they approach crossings.
“I’m hoping they will do what they promise — reduce the noise,” Councilwoman Joy Defenbaugh said.
Residents have long complained of noise from train horns, which continues throughout the night.
Automated horns are quieter and more tolerable because they concentrate the sound at the grade crossing. Now, train engineers manually sound their horns into the air as they approach the crossing, creating more noise pollution, said Brian Nakamura, the city’s public works director.
“The decibel level is significantly lower than having to blow it from 100 to 200 yards,” Nakamura said.
The entire system, which includes a video-monitoring system to gauge how drivers respond to train horns, will cost the city $400,000, which the council previously approved. The city hired M.S. Navarro Engineering of Northridge for the job.
The system will be installed at Union Pacific crossings at Panorama Road, and Riverside, Magnolia, Brockton, Palm, and Streeter avenues across about three miles of tracks.
Jim Myer, a Riverside resident since 1977, said the automated system , will be a substantial upgrade from the current process, which showers neighborhoods with noise in the early morning.
“There certainly will be a wonderful improvement,” he said.