The Federal Rail Administration (FRA) has approved the City’s application for a coastal railway Quiet Zone. In a Quiet Zone, active devices such as gates, signals, and railings warn vehicle and pedestrian traffic of on-coming trains, in lieu of the routine sounding of their horns. Train horns will still be used in emergency situations. The next step is a 21-day “Notice of Establishment” period to notify track users. The target timeframe for Quiet Zone establishment is mid-to-late July. Once established, there will be a period of one year in which train engineers may sound horns for a variety of reasons. After this period, train horns will only be sounded when, in the opinion of the train engineer, the need exists.
