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On November 2, 1994, the United States Congress passed the Federal Railroad
Safety Authorization Act of 1994 that requires the use of locomotive horns at
highway-rail grade crossings but gives the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
authority to make reasonable exceptions.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued their "Interim Final Rule on
the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings" on December 18,
2003. The focus of the Rule is to mandate the blowing of train locomotive horns
at every at-grade crossing. The FRA believes this is the most effective means to
prevent automobile/train collisions.
The Rule is considered "interim" because the FRA has granted a period for
considering action on public comments on the revised rules. The public comment
period expires on April 19, 2004 (see below for how to comment). The Rule is
scheduled to go into effect on December 18, 2004, regardless of any changes made
as a result of public comments.
In order to prevent the sounding of the locomotive horns at all hours of the
day, Mount Prospect would be required to establish "quiet zones" which would
most likely involve installing costly equipment at specific crossings within the
zone. Some of these safety equipment options set forth by the FRA are a
mountable median with a reflective traffic channelization device, or four
quadrant gates. The costs of some of these safety devices can be as high as
$400,000 per crossing. Another possibility would be the installation of
stationary wayside horns to replace locomotive horns, which will help reduce
noise at isolated crossings by directing the sound toward the path of traffic.
Education and enforcement programs could also help in qualifying for the quiet
zone status.
There are no funding sources available for funding the installation of this
equipment. The cost of this federal mandate will be borne by local government,
placing a significant and unfair burden on the taxpayers in our community. In
addition, there is no guarantee that even after a community applies new
equipment to establish a quiet zone that the zone will remain quiet. The FRA
reserves the right to re-evaluate and change and the status of any quiet zone at
any time.
This Rule will have a severe impact on the quality of life of residents who live
near railroad crossings in communities that are currently exempt from the
routine blowing of horns.
The FRA is soliciting written comments on the rule, and the Village of Mount
Prospect urges residents to comment. The deadline for submitting written
comments to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on the Interim Rule is on
Monday, April 19, 2004 by 5:00 p.m. EST (4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time).
Comments may be submitted via the following methods:
Fax: 1-202-493-2251
Mail: Docket Management Facility
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, SW.
Nassif Building, Room PL-401
Washington, DC 20590.
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:
www.regulations.gov Type in 03-30606 under keyword to find the regulation.
For more information from the FRA about the Rule, please visit their website at
www.fra.dot.gov.
For further information, please contact Ron Ries, Manager, Office of Safety, FRA,
1120 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20590 or call 202-493-6299.
The local FRA contact person is Tammy Wagner, Region 4 Crossing Safety Manager,
312-353-6203 ext. 49 or
Tammy.Wagner@fra.dot.gov.
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