At a recent Sebastian City Council meeting, Councilman Ed Dodd addressed residents’ concerns about train noise, explaining why the city will not pursue a “quiet zone” designation for its railroad crossings.
A quiet zone is a designated section of a railroad corridor where train horns are not routinely sounded at public highway-rail grade crossings, as permitted by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under the Train Horn Rule (49 CFR Part 222).
The goal is to reduce noise pollution for nearby communities while maintaining safety. To establish a quiet zone, municipalities must meet strict safety standards, such as installing specific crossing improvements (e.g., gates, lights, or medians) to compensate for the absence of horn warnings.
Quiet zones typically apply only to crossings under local jurisdiction, and the process involves coordination with the FRA, the railroad company, and sometimes the state or county.
Dodd revealed that he had consulted with the Trust Regional Planning Council, which specializes in quiet zone preparations. According to Dodd, establishing a quiet zone is challenging for a municipality like Sebastian when the surrounding county does not apply for the same designation.
“The sad story is that, yes, the city can apply for quiet zones on their own without the county doing that,” Dodd said. “However, it’s very difficult for a municipality within a county who doesn’t apply for quiet zones to get a quiet zone.”
Further complicating the issue, Dodd explained that quiet zones can only be applied to crossings owned by the city. In Sebastian, this restriction limits the application to a few crossings, including Barber Street, Schumann Drive, and Main Street. Other major crossings, including County Road 512 (Sebastian Boulevard), Roseland Road, and Old Dixie Highway, are not under city control, meaning train horns would still sound at these locations even if a quiet zone were established for the city-owned crossings.
“They told me it would not make any sense for us to spend the money it would take to apply for a quiet zone,” Dodd stated, emphasizing the lack of practical benefits. “It’s not that we don’t want to do it; it’s just that there isn’t any advantage to us to try to make that process and do the quiet zone thing.”
The logistical and financial barriers outlined by Dodd suggest that a quiet zone application would have a limited impact on reducing train noise.
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