Transcript Countywide Railroad Crossing Quiet Zone Cost & Feasibility

Federal Railroad
Administration's Ruling:
“Use of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade
Crossings – Establishing Quiet Zones”
Why has FRA issued this Rule?
• Required by statute in order to provide national policy
for trains to sound a locomotive horn at public grade
crossings.
• To permit exceptions where no significant risk exists.
• Promote Quality of Life without
Compromising Safety
Florida’s Experience
• July 1984 – Florida authorized night-time whistle bans at
crossings equipped with flashing lights, bells, gates and
signs.
• FRA noted a 195% increase in collision rate during ban
hours at FEC crossings and 67% increase at CSX
crossings.
• July 26, 1991 – FRA issued Emergency Order No. 15 that
ended whistle bans in Florida.
• Current Florida Statute CH 351 (.03) – Any railroad
train approaching within 1,500 feet of a public crossing
shall emit a signal audible for such distance.
FRA’s Train Horn Rule History
• Nov 2, 1994 Statutory mandate enacted by Congress
(Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1994) to
issue regulations requiring the sounding of locomotive
horns at all public crossings, and to provide exceptions
under specific conditions and circumstances.
• Apr 1995 FRA completes and issues Nationwide Study of
Train Whistle Bans.
• Jan 12, 2000 Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM)
and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is
issued
FRA’s Train Horn Rule History
(Contd.)
• Dec 18, 2003 Interim Final Rule (IFR) is published,
effective date of Dec 18, 2004
• Nov 22, 2004 IFR effective date changed to Apr 1, 2005
• Mar 18, 2005 IFR effective date changed to June 24, 2005
• Apr 27, 2005 Final Rule is published
• June 24, 2005 Final Rule goes into effect
FRA Changes in Train Horn
Requirements
• Requires the sounding of locomotive horn
approaching every public crossing (replacing
state law and railroad operating rules)
• Horn shall be sounded at least 15 sec but no
more than 20 sec before locomotive enters
crossing and not greater than ¼ mile
• Sec. 229.129 defines minimum and maximum
train horn decibel levels (96dBA-110dBA)
• Effect of these changes will be to reduce horn noise for
3.4 million of the 9.3 million people currently affected by
unregulated train horn noise.
Exception to Train Horn Sounding
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No Significant Risk of loss of life or serious injury
Use of locomotive horn is impractical
Safety measures compensate for absence of horn
Establish Quiet Zone
Quiet Zone
• A quiet zone is a section of a rail line that
contains one or more consecutive public
crossings at which locomotive horns are
not routinely sounded.
Who may establish a Quiet Zone?
• Public Authority with jurisdiction for the
roadway at the crossing
• If Quiet Zone includes more than one Public Authority
– All agencies must agree
– Actions must be taken jointly
• Quiet Zones may be established irrespective of state
law
Minimum Requirements of a
Quiet Zone
• Minimum Length: ½ mile
• Active Grade Crossing Warning Devices
(Flashing Lights & Gates conforming to MUTCD)
• Constant Warning Time (CWT) Device
• Advance Warning Signs
Example of Standard Flashing
Lights & Gates
Quiet Zones: Two types
• Pre-rule Quiet Zones (none in Florida)
– Where train horns were silenced between October 9,
1996 and December 18, 2003
• New Quiet Zones
– Any quiet Zones that do not qualify as Pre-Rule Quiet
Zones
• New Partial Quiet Zones
– A Quiet Zone in which horns are only silenced
between 10 P.M and 7 A.M
– Same requirements as New Quiet Zone
How is a Quiet Zone established?
• Approach # 1 Implement Suplementary Safety Measures (SSM) at
every public crossing within a proposed Quiet Zone
SSM – Supplemental Safety Measures
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•
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SSMs are the engineering improvements applied at a crossing to
reduce the risk of a collision
Temporary Closures
4-Quadrant Gates
Gates with Medians or Channelization
Devices
One-way Streets with Gates
Permanent Closure
Temporary Closure
•
Close the Crossing to Highway traffic
during designated Quiet Zone periods
• Crossing must be closed during the
same hours every day
• Public Authority maintaining the
street is responsible.
Effectiveness: 1.0
*Effectiveness value for each SSM references the likelihood of a collision at
the crossing as a result of SSM being installed compared to conventional
crossing w/ train horn
Four- Quadrant Gate System
• Install Gates to fully block the
crossing when the gates are
lowered
• Gates must conform to
standards contained in MUTCD
Effectiveness: 0.77
Gates with Medians or
Channelization Devices
• Install medians bounded by
non-traversable curbs or
channelization devices on both
highway approaches.
• Minimum curb height is 6inches
Effectiveness: 0.80
One Way Street with Gates
• Install Gates such that all
approaching highway lanes are
completely blocked
Effectiveness: 0.82
Permanent Closure
• Permanently close the crossing to highway traffic
• Must completely block highway traffic
• Barricades and Signs used for closure shall conform to standards
contained in the MUTCD
• Must account for traffic diverted to other crossing
Effectiveness: 1.0
Alternative to SSM within a
Quiet Zone: Wayside Horn
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•
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Stationary horn system
designed to sound like a Train
Horn
Mounted at the crossing
Reduces noise pollution in
neighborhoods located near
grade crossings
Treated as a One-for-One
substitute for the train horn
Warning sounded until train
reaches the crossing
Wayside Horn (Contd.)
• Horn system must be equipped with an indicator to notify
the locomotive engineer that the wayside horn is
functioning properly.
• Horn system must provide a minimum of 92 dB(A) and a
maximum of 110 dB(A)
Wayside Horn vs. Train Horn
Alternative Safety Measures (ASMs)
All ASMs must be approved by FRA
• Non-complying SSMs (e.g., shorter, or otherwise modified traffic
channelization devices)
• Photo enforcement
• Programmatic education and awareness
• Programmatic education and awareness
• Programmatic enforcement
Justification for any education or enforcement ASM must show a
statistically significant measure of its effectiveness in reducing risk.
How is a Quiet Zone Established?
(Contd.)
• Approach # 2 (Risk based analysis)
– Risk of a collision must be at the level that would be expected with the
train horn sounding, or below a nationwide average risk level at public
gated crossings where horns are sounded
• 3 Scenarios under this approach
– Scenario # 1
– Scenario #2
– Scenario #3
Determination of Risk
• Components of Risk for each crossing
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Expected number of collisions
Probability of a collision producing a facility or an injury
Average number of fatalities or injuries that occur in such collisions
Cost to society
FRA’s Quiet Zone Calculator
• FRA’S Quiet Zone Calculator will calculate the risk index for each
crossing, and other necessary values
• The Quiet Zone Calculator can be used to develop and store multiple
scenarios (try it with different combinations of SSMs) for any Quiet
Zone proposal
• http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/quiet/
Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI)
• Represents average risk index for all crossings in a
proposed quiet zone with the absence of train horn.
• Risk index for each crossing is obtained from Quiet Zone
Calculator developed by FRA (available online)
National Significant Risk
Threshold (NSRT)
• Represents the average risk index of all public gated
crossings in the nation at which train horns are sounded.
• NSRT value is calculated by FRA
• NSRT value varies every year
• 15,424 (old value in IFR)
• 17,030 (as of April 27,2005)
Risk Index With Horns (RIWH)
• Represents the average risk index in the proposed quiet zone
that would exist if train horns were sounded at every crossing
in a quiet zone
Approach #2 Scenario #1
• Quiet Zone may be established without any supplementary
safety measures or wayside horn if:
QZRI  NSRT
• Reviewed annually by FRA to determine if the Quiet zone still
qualifies under this rule
Approach #2 Scenario #2
• Additional safety measures are taken at selected crossings so
that:
QZRI  NSRT
• Reviewed annually by FRA to determine if the Quiet zone
still qualifies under this rule
Approach #2 Scenario #3
• Additional safety measures are taken at selected crossings so
that:
QZRI  RIWH
• Not subject to FRA annual review
• Local jurisdiction will never need to be concerned about the
NSRT
Cost of a Quiet Zone
• Depends on
– Approach Methodology adapted
– Number of crossings needing improvements
– Type of improvement at a crossing
FRA Capital Costs of Equipment
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Flashing Lights & Gates - $150,000
Flashing Lights & Gates to Four Quadrant Gates - $150,000
New Four Quadrant Gates - $300,000
Medians or Channelization Devices - $15,000
Vender supplied cost (Railroad Controls Limited)
• Wayside Horn - $50,000
Hillsborough County Quiet Zones
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Countywide study
Identified 81 potential crossings
Developed 15 Quiet Zones
Cost of implementing Quiet Zones based on Approach #1 is
approax. $23,000,000
• Cost of implementing Quiet Zones based on Approach # 2
is $ 4,700,000
• Funding Options
Summary of Costs of Quiet Zones
Established Based on Different Approaches for Hillsborough County
Funding Sources / Options
• No Direct funding sources for Quiet Zones
• Federal Government Programs (very low funding probability)
• Federal Highway Administration Section 130 program
– Administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
– Provides bulk of the federal crossing improvement fund.
– Up to 10% of the cost of crossing improvement may be assessed to the
affected railroads.
– County’s efforts at receiving funds would be directed towards the State, not
Federal government.
• Innovative Financing
– Special Benefit Assessment (Special Taxing District)
– Identify Noise Impact Area
Train Horn Noise Concepts
• Train horn noise is measured in dBA
– dB = decibels, general strength of noise.
– A = indicates that the sound has been filtered to reduce
the strength of very low & high frequency sounds.
Acceptable Noise in
Residential Area
• “U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development
(HUD)”
Acceptable if  65 dBA
• “U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency”
Acceptable if  55 dBA
Impact Areas
• Determined by FRA’s horn
noise model
• Impact Area (within 55 dBA
Contour)
• Severe Impact Areas (within 65
dBA contour)
• ¼ mile on either side of the
crossing
Typ. Impact Area in a Suburban
Area
FRA Grade Crossing Noise Model
User Input
Noise Situation
Shielding
Noise Situation (Pick from List)
Horn Lmax (dBA) @ 100 feet
Horn Location on Locomotive(Pick from List)
Non Train Noise Environment (pick from list)
Shielding (Pick from List)
Length of Impact Area (pick from list)
Existing Train Speed (mph)
Future Train Speed (mph)
Number of Existing Trains in one Direction
Number of Future Trains in one Direction
Existing Number of Day Trains (7 am to 10 p.m.)
Future Number of Day Trains (7 am to 10 p.m.)
2
110
1
2
2
1
40
40
9.5
9.5
5.9375
5.9375
Horns Existing and Future
Horns in Future Only
No Horns Existing and Future
1
2
3
Horn Location on Locomotive
National Average (50% front, 50% middle)
All Front Mounted
All Middle Mounted
User Defined
80 % front mounted horns
1
2
3
4
Non Train Noise Environment
Urban
1
Existing Number of Night Trains (10 p.m. to 7 am)
Future Number of Night Trains (10 p.m. to 7 am)
Existing Average Number of Cars
3.5625
3.5625
20
Suburban
Rural
User Defined Ldn =
2
3
4
Existing 65 Ldn Contour at X-ing
Future 65 Ldn Contour at X-ing
Existing 65 Ldn Contour at 1/2 zone length
Future 65 Ldn Contour at 1/2 zone length
Zone Length
1/2 Zone Length
121
683
121
523
1320
660
Length of Impact Area
1/4 mile
1
20 seconds
2
15 seconds
3
Impact Zones Numeric Output (in feet)
Impact Distance at X-ing
Severe Impact Distance at X-ing
Impact Distance at 1/2 zone length
Severe Impact Distance at 1/2 zone length
1492
903
1160
683
Zone Length
1/2 Zone Length
1320
660
20
2
2
1500
1000
1000
-500
-1000
-1000
-1500
-1500
-2000
-2000
Distance (ft)
Distance (ft)
1320
0
660
1320
660
0
660
1320
0
500
660
500
Distance (ft)
1500
-500
Impact Zones
2000
0
Ldn 65 Contours
2000
Distance (ft)
50 dBA
Ldn 65 Contours Numeric Output (in feet)
1
2
3
4
5
6
1320
Future Average Number of Cars
Existing Average Number of Locomotives
Future Average Number of Locomotives
Dense Urban
Light Urban
Dense Suburban
Light Suburban
Rural
No Shielding
Required Notifications for
New Quiet Zones
• Notice of Intent: Railroad & State DOT
– 60 days notice to provide information and comments to public
authority
• Notice of Quiet Zone Establishment: RR & State DOT
– 21 day notice
Questions?