Looks like the train horn noise will finally be put to rest in Flagstaff:
Here is a rendering of the pedestrian approach to the railroad tracks at Beaver and San Francisco streets.
The city of Flagstaff received the go-ahead for its plans to quiet train horns at the in-town railroad crossings
using directional horns and pedestrian "barriers" like this rendering.
(render: Arizona Daily Sun)
Train horn silence OK'd
State regulators approve Flagstaff's plan, although no starting date is set
By JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
October 09, 2009
The last hurdle to silencing the horns of up to 120 freight trains passing through Flagstaff each day was cleared Thursday afternoon.
The Arizona Corporation Commission voted unanimously to allow the city and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway to begin installation of safety equipment at each of the city's five at-grade railroad crossings in coming months. Once the equipment is in place, the horns can be silenced. The commission halted construction in late April after commission staff learned the city had proceeded without ACC approval. The agency referred the matter to administrative law judge Sarah Harpring, who recommended approval of the city's plan last month and sent the matter to the commission for a final vote. The chairwoman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, Kris Mayes, said despite some missteps in the past by city staffers, the plan should go forward. The city failed to notify Amtrak of pending changes and sent reports to the wrong person at the ACC. "I am fully in favor of quiet zones," Mayes said. "I think the people of Flagstaff deserve this."
NOT OFFERING PREDICTIONS
However, just when residents will actually hear the last of train horns through town is unclear. Officials with BNSF and the city said they need to confer before setting a new timetable. With several major delays in the project since he took office in January 2008, City Manager Kevin Burke said he would no longer speculate on when the quiet zones would be in place. "I've stopped offering predictions," Burke said. When the commission stopped the work in April, regulators feared the installation of the directional wayside horns, which would replace the sounding of train horns at two of the crossings, might confuse train engineers before the plan was implemented. But during the commission meeting Tuesday, commissioners focused heavily on the pedestrian safety measures for the two downtown crossings at Beaver and San Francisco streets.
PEDESTRIAN BARRIERS MISSING
Judge Harpring had said that although there are no physical barriers currently at the downtown crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists, the crossings are considered safe because of the 110-decibel blast from the train horns. She said making the two crossings silent has the potential to make the crossings less safe. But the proposed pedestrian measures along Beaver and San Francisco still meet the standards that the FRA have established. The city plans to install an archway and signage to alert pedestrians of oncoming trains. This would be in addition to warning bells and flashing lights already in place at the crossings, but no barriers.
Mayes said she was skeptical the planned enhancements would be enough to stop pedestrians. "We really don't know for sure whether these two crossings are as safe as they should be," Mayes stated. Mayes pushed city staffers to explain why the Council chose an option that wasn't recommended by the advisory team formed by the city that had expertise in railroad safety measures. Other suggestions would have put wayside horns, four-quadrant gates and pedestrian mazes downtown. Randy Whitaker, the senior project manager for the city, said the option chosen by the Flagstaff Council City was one of five possible scenarios for meeting the standards set by the Federal Railroad Administration. "All five scenarios are safe," Whitaker stated.
NO CHANGES REQUIRED
A majority of the Flagstaff City Council voted against putting wayside horns at the downtown crossings because of their proximity to business, restaurants and downtown residents. The four quadrant gates were nixed by the Council because of the high cost of installing them -- roughly several hundred thousand dollars per crossing. His answers did not convince Mayes, who noted FRA officials never even came to Flagstaff. "I really think it is pretty darn simple to get federal approval for quiet zones," Mayes said bluntly. In the end, Mayes and the other commissioners did not require the city to make any changes to the current quiet zone plan. However, the regulators are expected to review the two downtown crossings once the quiet zones have been implemented.
FEDERAL AUTHORITY PRE-EMPTED?
BNSF didn't oppose the city's plans or the commission's approval, but its lawyers said Thursday that the federal government has pre-empted state regulation of the sounding of train horns. Replacing the sounding of a train horn with a trackside horn amounts to state regulation, said Patrick Black, a Phoenix lawyer representing the railroad. However, the commission's decision adopted a hearing officer's conclusion that the commission has authority over the matter because of its railroad-safety authority over equipment at crossings. Black said he didn't think it would appeal the commission's finding. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is a subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., which is based in Fort Worth, Texas.
Countdown to quiet zones
2004/2005 -- City begins a feasibility study of quiet zones.
2005 -- Federal Railway Authority issues final guidelines for establishing quiet zones.
2005 -- City forms advisory panel for quiet zones, hires a outside company to begin design work.
2007 -- Flagstaff City Council approves a two-tiered plan: Wayside horns for east Flagstaff and no horns in downtown Flagstaff.
2008 -- A newly elected City Council elects to re-examine previous Council's decision after eastside residents petition, but eventually reaffirms existing decision.
Jan. 2009 -- City starts 60-day review period, submits plans to various parties, including the Arizona Corporation Commission.
March 2009 -- Construction of quiet zones begins.
April 2009 -- City submits application to the ACC.
May 21, 2009 -- ACC orders city, BNSF to stop all work on quiet zones crossings.
May 31, 2009 -- Eastside resident Walter Robertson submits letter to ACC citing safety concerns over the city's plans.
July 8, 2009 -- Administrative law judge instructs all parties to submit their own inventory of the safety measures in order to weigh various risks at each of the crossings to pedestrians and crossing vehicles.
Sept. 22, 2009 -- The Administrative law judge recommends the city be allowed to proceed with a its plan to modify the two eastside crossings and install wayside horns.
Oct. 8, 2009 -- The ACC approves the city's plans for quiet zones.