Western Railroad Discussion > Burbank looking to ban train horns

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/burbank/news/la-blr-trainhornsb17nov17,1,1374345.story?coll=la-tcn-burbank-news



City may silence blare of train horns
Proposed federal rule would require horns at level crossings, but gives municipalities chance to create quiet zones.

DOWNTOWN BURBANK — The city is looking to take advantage of a new federal rule allowing it to establish a quiet zone where train horns could not be used.

The move is a response to federal guidelines expected to take effect in early 2005 requiring trains to sound their horns at all level crossings with roadways.

The city has two rail crossings, one on Buena Vista Street and the other on Van Owen Street.

"There have been a number of people who over the years ask how come the trains have to blow their horns," said Greg Hermann, assistant community development director for transportation. "People in that area would like less noise, so that's why we're considering it."

Councilman Todd Campbell said the city should move ahead with silencing the horns if it can be done in a safe manner.

"You have to warn people that a train is coming, particularly at grade crossings," Campbell said. "But if the horns are reverberating off the hills and I can hear it where I live I can only imagine it's a nuisance if you're within an earshot of the tracks."

Along with the horn requirement, the new guideline also allows for municipalities to establish the quiet zones, a means to put power into the local communities, said Steve Kulm, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration.

"We know train horns provide a safety measure," Kulm said. "For the horns to be silenced, we must have improvements done to compensate for the horns not being sounded. We want to reduce the risk of the horns not being used."

The train horn policy has been in the works for more than 10 years following direction to the FRA from Congress. In December 2003, an interim final rule was adopted with implementation set for one year later but that has been delayed.

Currently, the use of train horns is governed by the states, Kulm said.

The Buena Vista crossing will be eliminated as part of a larger freeway related project scheduled for 2008, when the crossing is reconfigured to allow vehicles to pass under the tracks. That leaves only the Van Owen crossing to be addressed by the city.

Until the federal rule is in place, the city will research establishing the quiet zone and what alternatives are available to make the Van Owen crossing safer, Hermann said.

One alternative available is the use of four gates at a crossing instead of two to prevent cars from going around downed gates when a train approaches.

To establish a quiet zone, factors such as adjacent streets, the configuration of the crossing, and the amount of traffic that crosses the tracks are looked at. Although the train horn rule comes from the federal government, the state's Public Utilities Commission will review and approve any application for a quiet zone.

For a start how about keeping trespassers off the tracks!
Then the trains will blow less!

You would think the train horn was just invented this year by the way some of these people talk. BTW... Buena Vista crossing is on the normal takeoff end of Burbank Airport. Sorry... Can you blow your horn a little louder... I can't hear it over the airplanes.

Dave
Los Angeles, CA
-Rail Radio Online-Home of the "TrainTenna" RR Monitoring Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/railradioonline

The next thing I expect to hear from these screwballs is for them to get the FAA to force jets to cut their engines while taking off and landing over residential areas. Down in San Diego, there's a contingent of rich people who live in expensive town homes recently constructed under the final glide path to the airport along the tracks that want the trolleys and trains to stop blowing for the crossings. There are a couple of flights that land just as we arrive at Laurel Street, and their noise literally drowns out the sound of my whistle. All this just reinforces my belief that the more money people store up, the stupider they get.

Just thought I'd let you know that there are 3 grade crossings in Burbank-Hollywood Way and Van Owen on the Valley Line and Buena Vista on the Saugus line.
Harry

actually, Hollywood Way has an underpass for both lines...Buena Vista has crossings across BOTH lines. I sent that to the writer, and he hasn't responded.

OK you're right!!! I had CRAP's desease for a moment!!! (Can't remember for sh-t!). Harry

I forgot about the North part of Buena Vista. Neither one is really a 100% residential area though... It's mostly commercial.

And as far as the planes go, believe it or not, they already do cut their engines. Many airports have noise abatement programs where the Pilot is expected to take as steep a takeoff as possible, then dip the nose back down while they power the engines down as low as possible to cut the noise down. Pilots really love cutting their engines down on takeoff... That's about the last thing you want to do. John Wayne is one of the most predominate airports when it comes to doing this. If you stand at the departure end, you can see the planes rocket up in a very steep angle to get as high above the houses as possible, then cut the engines down. First time I heard it, I actually thought something was wrong. I believe John Wayne was voted to be one of the top 5 most dangerous airports to fly out of because of this, by a poll taken of Airline Pilots, and Burbank was also in the top 5 for the same reasons. And it's all due to noise complaints.

Dave
-Rail Radio Online-Home of the "TrainTenna" RR Monitoring Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/railradioonline

Let's go back to live human type, rail grade crossing guards. Give them police traffic whistles. Oh boy!

We are going to need a ballot initiative to increase taxes. Let's see, what is the best way to handle this. I know. We can implant a computer chip in each of us that identifies who we are and automatically takes out, the sir charge, from our bank account. A sir charge, charged off to those who use those railroad crossings.

No this isn't coming from our new State Transportation Secretary. I would expect something like this.

My opinion. I just think Big Brother, Older Sister and Dear Auntie & Uncle Sam keep to close of tabs on us as it is.

Safety, a issue that has been defined the result of necessity as to the ignorance and human fallibility of ...

Regarding horn honking or whistle blowing at railroad crossings. What do these Burbankers want? Safety or less then desirable results.

RickH