Railroad 'Quiet Zones' Get an Official Start Date
After more than a year of negotiations, Sussex residents will finally get a good night's rest starting in July.
Sussex's long-awaited "quiet zones" have finally been given a starting date at Tuesday night's Village Board Meeting, with board members officially authorizing the notification letter to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Starting July 19, trains will silence horns when crossing:
- Silver Spring Drive
- Good Hope Road
- Plainview Road
- Main Street
However, according to Village Administrator Jeremy Smith, not every railroad company is bound to Sussex's new rules.
"The improvements are in for the 'quiet zones' to go into effect," Smith said. "That will take place approximately July 19, and that is only for the Canadian National line. The Union Pacific line that runs east-west of the village is still not in the quiet zone due to the extensive costs at the Maple Avenue crossing for that to comply. So it’s just for the Canadian National line which runs north and south."
Smith said residents shouldn't worry, as the Canadian National line has many more areas conductors usually are required to sound a horn, where the Union Pacific line has just two: Maple Avenue and Lisbon Road.
Although the "quiet zone" project has been in the works for more than two years, led by trustee Tim Dietrich, not everyone was in agreement Tuesday night.
Sussex Trustee Jason Wegner strongly opposed silencing trains at the Plainview Road crossing because there aren't any plans to install fences to prevent cars from sneaking past the gates, according to the Sussex Sun.
"It is all ready a dangerous crossing because of the hills and trees... Someone is going to get smoked," Wegner said.
Village officials pointed out that intersection doesn't have those safety fences because the Town of Lisbon owns the right-of-way on part of that intersection, and Sussex couldn't reach an agreement with the town. In addition, trains are still allowed to use horns in the event of an emergency.
Pam C.
2:25 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
if someone is stupid enough to sneak around a railroad gate, that's their problem. Thanks goodness this is finally getting approved.
Andy Ambrosius
2:40 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Right?! That's what some of the trustees were saying. It's not a train problem, it's a problem with how smart the driver is. Hah!
Janet L. Goocher
2:55 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Why the hell did horns get installed on trains if we then later decided to have a "quiet zone"? Seriously. What about protection of patrons? So the train blows a horn to signal itself coming it's not like the train blows their horn for 5 mins. I think it's wrong, just wrong. If it's to prevent an accident why not have it? Some are ignorant enough to sneak around the gate, but I would rather at least try and prevent a tradegy than quiet a train!!!!!!!!
Andy Ambrosius
3:03 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The trains can still use their horns in emergencies, of course! (Remember that Tosa accident? Here: http://goo.gl/7CQx0) That would just be foolish. However, I think it's to keep people sane when they're trying to sleep... More than 30 trains pass through Sussex every day & night. Phew!
Quiet Zones Madison
7:06 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Upgrading the safety of railroad crossings and creating residential quiet zones is the only way to truly protect residents. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/quietzoneswi Like us on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/LdTrVy
Janet L. Goocher
3:10 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I understand, my apt is right by a set of tracks and the train goes through that part of town every day and night, but we also have a lot of children that live in that area, teenagers driving and I think it's just wrong to stop the horns. We've been dealing with it this long seriously so why stop it now. If I have to lose sleep to save a life then so be it! That life is worth it!
Quiet Zones Madison
6:51 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
So, you'd rather that local residents die of heart attack & stroke rather than fight for safer residential railroad crossings & quiet zones? The children also are suffering as a result of the sleep disruptions. Why can't we help the railroad industry to evolve and do no harm? Here are two recent studies explaining why we need safe quiet zones in residential areas: People with chronic sleep disruption have 4 times higher risk of stroke: http://bit.ly/K9iljK and…. Every 10 decibels of traffic noise equates to 10 percent greater risk of heart attack. Train whistles = 100+ decibels. Late-night noise is the most dangerous http://nyti.ms/ODHgDq
Bill K.
4:06 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
It is completely amazing how the news agencys of the village skew the comments of the board members. It is amazing how Kelly Smith who wrote the Sussex Sun artice is manipulating the news by not exposing the entire debate.I watched the village board meeting last night and Trustee Wegner was mainly arguing the flawed data on the application for the quiet zone. I think he stated that the railroads are able to have upto 50 trains a day and the application calls for 30 he also argued that the application states no school busses cross the railroad at all? Schools must be getting new flying school busses, Amazing. Wegner was also questioning why we did not go for a nighttime quiet zone when it would be most effective without endangering daytime safety. Wegner was also not arguing for the protection of the stupid driver going around the gates on Plainview but for the protection of the railroad due to the closeness of the hills the engineer will not even have a chance to blow his horn in an emergency because he will have a limited time to see a crash is imminent. It is obviouus that Trustee Dietrich railroaded this quiet zone thru without a full discussion by the residents of Sussex and imput from the board and it seems that the data submitted to the state was skewed to force thru something to benefit a few residents and endanger the rest of us. I would call for a full investigation of the data to review whether the submitted data is correct before we enact this dangerous action.
Quiet Zones Madison
9:50 pm on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Bravo Sussex. Thank you for setting an example of how to help the railroad industry evolve and co-exist peacefully in residential neighborhoods. We are fighting for this too in Madison. Did you know that people with chronic sleep disruptions have 4 times higher risk of stroke? More and more trains will be moving to late-night hours to reduce daytime traffic delays for cars. Check out what we are doing to create railroad quiet zones in Madison: Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/quietzoneswi Like us on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/LdTrVy
BP
2:34 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
http://law.justia.com/cfr/title49/49-4.1.1.1.27.html#49:4.1.1.1.27.1.86.4 There are many things that make these junk signals fail ---thus train horns to start with. Why quiet now?
Good-bye train crews ---the Feds done cleared the way for their railroad owner buds to like pitch remote trains in Canada and catch them in Mexico.
It's not people going around the gates getting them killed it's failing/missing signals. Guess this author got taken on the three hour brainwash tour.
Mike B
8:02 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
This is a good thing no matter what. The train horn isn't what keeps people safe. The crossing at the streets are what keep people safe. When the bars come down, you stop. If you want to try to sneak through, then we see if Darwin strikes again.
Kids shouldn't be playing on the train tracks anyway. There are no parks near any of those intersections so there's no reason for anyone to be on or near the tracks in those areas. If the engineer sees that the bars aren't down, they can still use their best judgement and sound the horn if needed.
I'm very glad this is finally happening. I can't even watch TV sometimes because the trains come through and blow their horns and I can't hear what's being said. And yes,they blow them for quite a long time because just as they are done blowing for Good Hope, they blow for Main. Then when they're done with that they blow for Silver Spring. It ends up just being one really long train horn.
Arnold Jung
11:01 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Why did you buy a house near the train tracks then. I guarantee the train tracks existed before you or your house existed on this earth not like they just popped out of nowhere.
Must have bought the house because it was cheap, or maybe the lot was cheap? Got a great deal didn't you. Now all residents will be have increased danger levels just so you can watch tv in peace in your cheap house. I hope the village reassesses your house due to the increased value from no train horns so my taxes can go down and you can pay your equal share. Thanks
Janet L. Goocher
11:22 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Mr. Jung, I just wanted to know who your comments where being voiced to, that is, if you don't mind me asking?
Tia
9:38 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Sorry folks but those trains were here long before all of your fancy houses were. Why did you move here? stupidity at it's finest. The trains shake my house and my photos on the walls are never straight. Even sent me to the ER last year when a light fixture loosened up and fell on top of me. Boooo Hooo cry somemore. I love the trains and their horns. Don't come a crying when your kid gets hit by the train with no warning.....
Quiet Zones Madison
11:14 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
The tracks may have been there first, but our population was exponentially smaller over a century ago when the railroads arrived. Should our entire population move to a secluded farm? It's time for the train industry to evolve and learn to co-exist safely & peacefully in modern-day residential neighborhoods. http://on.fb.me/LdTrVy
BP
3:29 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
The FEDS are dirty tucked deep in the railroads pockets and railroads are greedy bottom dwellers. The railroads sit their """own""" track speed only limited by the weight of the rail per foot. There's 1000s of private crossings with no train horns ----The FEDs didn't over rule state law on these because there were no laws and now the trains can go crew-less and screw anything that gets in their way. Check on who has liability at these no train horn crossings now.