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Friday, 11 December 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
After preliminary talks with CSX officials, a city administrator briefed members of a Wapakoneta City Council committee on creating a railroad quiet zone in Wapakoneta.
Wapakoneta Mayor Rodney Metz updated councilors present Wednesday for a Streets, Alleys and Sidewalks Committee meeting about information he gained from talking with CSX officials regarding the establishment of a quiet zone.
Metz said the concept is interesting, especially for Wapakoneta which has nine crossings within the city and seven in a residential area, but he has his reservations about creating a quiet zone.
“I understand some of the residents’ concerns regarding the noise factor, but my first and foremost concern is the
safety of our residents,” Metz told the Wapakoneta Daily News after the meeting. “Right now, I want to find out the costs to create a quiet zone and if there are any grants to help the city pay to get this done, especially if we can get it done for nothing. But first and foremost, I want to know if it is safe and I have questions regarding the liability.”
A quiet zone is a designated section of railroad in which trains are prohibited from sounding their horns as they travel through grade crossings. The intent is to decrease the level of noise for nearby residential communities.
To create a quiet zone, automatic gates and lights as well as other safety measures must be installed to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians.
A state law authorizing quiet zones passed the General Assembly in May 2004. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) reviews and approves any application for a quiet zone and then reviews the feasibility of a quiet zone once every three years.
PUCO officials also determine if any additional safety measures are necessary to ensure safety at quiet zone crossings.
During the meeting, Metz estimated it would cost between $3 million and $5 million to install the circuitry to determine the speed of the train and lower the crossing guards, to install signals and crossing guards and to construct concrete barriers down the center of the road to keep vehicles from going around the crossing guards.
The mayor said the city would have to hire a traffic engineer familiar with rail systems to design the city’s quiet zone. Typically an engineer’s fee is 10 to 20 percent of the project cost.
Council President Don Jump said he intends to assign the quiet zone issue to the Health and Safety Committee after the first of the year when committees are reassigned to councilors. He also may request Finance Committee members participate because of the cost of the project.
Metz said he intends to complete a report and survey soon for the Federal Railroad Authority regarding quiet zones as part of his due diligence on the issue. He then intends to let city councilors determine if the issue needs to be investigated further.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 11 December 2009 )
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