Quiet Zone

Joint Police & Streets Committee Meeting Village of Glendale January 16, 2007

Glendale Village Plan 2000

Transportation Committee Recommendation

Strategy Eight:

Reduce noise pollution from the railroad

Action

– Develop local and regional options and then work with railroad to implement a quiet zone.

Railroad Controls Limited (RCL) Report

 History of Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rules on whistles  Swift Rail Development Act of 1994  Notice of Proposed Rule Making (1/13/00)  Interim Final Rule (12/18/03)  Final Rule (6/24/05)

Process to Create Quiet Zone

 Application through the FRA by Public Authority  Public Authority Designation (preferred method – doesn’t require FRA approval)   Each highway-rail grade crossing within Quiet Zone equipped with approved Supplemental Safety Measure or Wayside Horn Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI) less than Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT) or the Risk Index With Horns (RIWH)

Glendale Highway & Pedestrian Rail Crossings

Sharon Road

• cantilever flashing lights and gates •

Pedestrian Crossing

no warning device

Albion Avenue

• gates flashing lights and

Oak Street

• gates flashing lights and

Quiet Zone Alternatives



Four-Quadrant Gate Systems



One Way Street with Gates



Gates with Medians or Channelization Devices



Wayside Horns



Temporary Closures



Permanent Closures

Four-Quadrant Gate System

   Gates at a crossing sufficient to block highway traffic from entering crossing when the gates are lowered, including at least one gate for each direction of traffic on each approach.

When a train approaches, all highway approach and exit lanes on both sides of highway-rail crossing must be spanned by gates.

Cost: $100,000 to install 2 additional gates at a crossing already equipped with two-quadrant gates; $280,000 to install four-quadrant gates.

Four-Quadrant Gate

One-Way Street with Gate

•Gates installed such that all approaching highway lanes to the public highway rail grade crossing are completely blocked.

•Crossing must be equipped with Constant Warning Circuitry, Power Out Indicator, gates and flashing lights.

Gates with Medians or Channelization Devices

   Medians or channelization devices on both highway approaches to a public highway-rail grade crossing denying highway users the option of circumventing the approach lane gates by switching into the opposing (oncoming) traffic lane and driving around the lowered gates to cross the tracks.

Must extend at least 100 feet from the gate arm, or if an intersection, at least 60 feet from gate arm and have a mountable medium Cost: $11,000, $500 annual maintenance costs

Medians or Channelization Devices

Wayside Horn

     A stationary horn system activated by the railroad highway grade warning system, mounted at the crossing, rather than the locomotive, to deliver an audible warning to motorists and pedestrians.

Simplest way to reduce train horn noise since a Quiet Zone is not required.

Sounds like a train horn – digitally recorded from actual locomotive Cycles through train whistle pattern until train reaches crossing.

Cost: $100,000 plus $500-$1000 annual maintenance fees.

Impact of Wayside Horn Reduces Noise

Sound Level

(dBA)

Train Horn Area (acres) Wayside Horn Area (acres) Percent Reduction

>70 265 37 86% >80 171 5 97% >90 31 <1 98%

80 decibel contour footprint impact of locomotive horn.

80 decibel contour footprint impact of wayside horn.

Railroad Train Indicator

Temporary Closures

 A Partial Quiet Zone is when the train horn is not routinely sounded at public crossings for a specified period of time each day. When the crossing is physically closed by barriers, a relay automatically activates a "crossing closed" signal that confirms to the locomotive engineer that the crossing is closed. As long as the locomotive engineer can see the "crossing closed" confirmation signal, he will not be required to sound the train horn.

RCL Grade Crossing Field Reviews

Sharon Road   Four Quadrant Gate – qualifies as Quiet Zone; possible closure of access to parking lot near Police Station for exit gate in SE quadrant; likely CSX require village pay for maintenance of vehicle detection and extra gates (Cost: $500,000 plus $5000-$10,000 annual maintenance) Medians or Channelization Devices Sharon Road; not an effective option – requires FRA to issue an effectiveness rating; village responsible for monitoring effectiveness; parallel roadways will need to be closed or relocated no closer than 60 feet (Greenville and Troy Avenues); difficulty for parking and access of businesses on

Sharon Road Cont.

•Wayside horns – not quiet zone; sound levels of train horn significantly reduced; curvature of track north of crossing requires remote confirmation indicator; requires annual maintenance (Cost: $100,000, $800 annual maintenance •Temporary Closure – major East-West arterial in Glendale; not logical consideration •One-Way with Gates – major East-West arterial in Glendale; create major traffic flow problems

RCL Grade Crossing Field Reviews

Pedestrian Crossing

  Located approximate 220 feet south of Sharon Road; currently not marked with any signage; FRA Final Rule requires all pedestrian crossings within Quiet Zone to be treated on findings of a Diagnostic Team Review and at minimum equipped with sign that train horns are not sounded.

Diagnostic Team – Village of Glendale, CSX, FRA, ORDC and PUCO

RCL Grade Crossing Field Reviews

Albion Avenue

 Four Quadrant Gates – qualifies for Quiet Zone; requires vehicle detection device; likely CSX will require village to pay for annual maintenance (Cost: $400,000 plus $5,000 - $10,000 annual maintenance)   Medians or Channelization Devices – not an option due to 60 foot requirement for medians One-Way with Gates – parallel access to Greenville and Troy, traffic circulation could be accommodated by converting Oak and Albion to one-way pairs. (Cost: $75,000 – no annual maintenance costs

Albion Avenue Cont.

•Wayside horns maintenance) $60,000 – not a quiet zone; probably requires two horns to address north and south direction of Greenville; third horn for westbound approach of Albion; requires Diagnostic Team to determine placement (Cost: $90,000 plus possible $800 annual •Temporary closure required to physically close (10 PM) and open (7 AM) Cost: •Permanent closure – qualifies as partial quiet zone; village – qualifies for quiet zone in conjunction with improvements on Sharon and Oak; installation of curbs on Albion and removal of approaches between Greenville and Troy; possible financial incentives from CSX (Cost: $50,000)

RCL Grade Crossing Field Reviews

Oak Avenue

  Four Quadrant Gates maintenance costs) – qualifies for quiet zone; requires installation of vehicle detection device (Cost: $400,000 plus possible $5,000 - $10,000 annual Medians and Channelization Devices – not an option due to 60 foot requirements for medians.

 One-Way with Gates maintenance costs) – parallel access along Greenville and Troy between Oak and Albion; traffic circulation accommodated by converting Oak and Albion to one way pairs (Cost: $75,000; no anticipated annual

Oak Avenue Cont.

   Wayside horns – is not a quiet zone; would have two horns to address Greenville/Glendale Road and Oak Street; possible need for third horn; Diagnostic Team determines location(Cost: $90,000 plus possible $800 annual maintenance costs) Temporary Closure – not addressed by RCL Permanent Closure – qualifies for quiet zone in conjunction with improvements to Albion and Sharon; not as desirable as closing Albion; possible financial incentives from CSX (Cost: $50,000)

Cost Summary of Options

Option Four Quadrant Gates Sharon Road Albion Avenue $500,000 $400,000 Medians or Channelization One-Way with Gates N/A N/A N/A $75,000 Wayside Horns Temporary Closure $100,000 N/A $90,000 $65,000 Permanent Closure N/A $50,000* Oak Road $400,000 N/A $75,000 $90,000 No data $50,000* * Possible CSX financial incentives

Horn Sound Contour

Train Horn Sound Contour Wayside Horn Sound Contour

What is Next?

 Wayside horn demonstration and decibel measurements  Evaluate funding sources (i.e. grants, State and Federal participation, CSX, ODRC)  Select best option(s)  Begin process with NRA for Quiet Zone