1. Kansas City Southern Railroad Quiet Zone Plan
An Overview
Presented by :
Santiago Araque, Kimley-Horn

2. Train Horns On KCSR In Laredo
32 At Grade Crossings
16 Trains Per Day
8 Day Trains (6AM – 6PM)
8 Night Trains (6PM – 6AM)
Crossing Horns – 2 Long, 1 Short, 1 Long
2,048
32 x 16 x 4 =
Horn Blasts Every Day
(1,024 Horn Blasts every night)

3. Whose Affected?

4. Quiet Zone Requirements

5. Quiet Zone “Minimum Requirement”
Gates, Flashing Lights, Railroad Cabin With White Light – All Public Crossings
6 out of 32 Existing Crossings Do Not Have Gates
Zaragoza Street
Santa Isabel Avenue
Vidaurri Avenue
Santa Rita Avenue
Juarez Avenue
Marcella Avenue
Gate Installation Costs Are $350,000 per Crossing (approx.)
6 x $350k = $2.1 million
“Train Does Not Sound Horn” Warning Signs

6. Quiet Zone “Risk” Increased risk without horn Risk Indexes
National Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT)
Increased risk without horn
Risk Indexes
National Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT)
Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI) – Calculated
Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI)
Meets Quiet Zone Requirements
National Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT)
Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI)
Does not meet Quiet Zone Requirements

7. Safety Measures
Supplemental Safety Measures VS Alternative Safety Measures
Temporary or Full-Time Closure of Public Crossings
Gates with Median Islands or Channelization Devices (median and driveway limitations)
Four-Quadrant Gates
One Way Streets with Gates
Wayside Horns
All ASMs must be approved by FRA
Must be tested prior to approval and effectiveness shown
Approximately 1 Year for approval
Alternative Safety Measures (ASMs) -do not fully meet requirement of SSMs

8. Quiet Zone Study 3 Different Quiet Zone Alternatives proposed
Alternative 1 and Alternative 2 – Full Quiet Zone (Arkansas to Vidaurri)
Alternative 3 – East Laredo Quiet Zone (Arkansas to Monterrey Ave)
All alternatives excluded Zaragoza and Santa Isabel
Crossings outside of Quiet Zone must be minimum of 600’ away from proposed quiet zone
Vidaurri must be closed in order to have full Quiet Zone
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
Cost
$ 1,194,000
$849,000
$476,000
QZRI
14,269
14,083
14,343
NSRT
14,347

9. Alternatives Studied Alternative 3 Alternative 2 Alternative 1
Limits: Vidaurri to Arkansas
1 Downtown Closure
3 Gate Installations
1 Upgrades from 2 gates to quad Gates
0 ASM’s
3 SSM Medians
Total Cost: $1,194,000
QZRI: 14,269
NSRT: 14,347
Alternative 2
Limits: Vidaurri to Arkansas
2 Downtown Closure
2 Gate Installations
1 Upgrades from 2 gates to quad Gates
0 ASM’s
3 SSM Medians
Total Cost: $849,000
QZRI: 14,083
NSRT: 14,347
Alternative 3
Limits: Monterrey to Arkansas
Only SSM’s East Quiet Zone
0 Crossing Closures
1 Gate Installation
1 Upgrades from 2 gates to quad Gates
0 ASM’s
2 SSM Medians
Total Cost: $476,000 (2018)
QZRI: 14,343
NSRT: 14,347

10. Not Studied in this Alternative
Proposed Safety Measures
Crossing
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
Vidaurri
Closure
Not Studied in this Alternative
Santa Rita
Gates
Juarez
Convent
Median (SSM)
Corpus Christi
Quad Gates*
Marcella
Market
Quad Gates
Seymour
Market E
Arkansas
$1,194,000
$849,000
$476,000
*Mitigation not required in 2018 and not calculated in cost shown. Mitigation may be established in the future to lower QZRI.

11. Next Steps
Hold a staff and public meeting to receive stakeholder input.
Produce a Final Report upon the MPO’s and City’s recommendations.
Prepare the official quiet zone application packet, using information from the FRA calculator.
Prepare design plans for crossing closures and safety improvements at crossings
Issue the following to the FRA and KCSR
Notice of Intent (NOI) to establish a quiet zone
Plans showing safety improvements
Address any NOI review comments received
Install safety improvements and No Train Horn signs, covering the signs with bags
Request inspection of improvements from KCSR
Issue the Notice of Establishment (NOE) for the quiet zone, stating the date that horns are to go silent.