1. Federal Railroad Administration's Ruling:
“Use of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings – Establishing Quiet Zones”

2. Why has FRA issued this Rule?
Required by statute in order to provide national policy for trains to sound a locomotive horn at public grade crossings.
To permit exceptions where no significant risk exists.
Promote Quality of Life without
Compromising Safety

3. Florida’s Experience
July 1984 – Florida authorized night-time whistle bans at crossings equipped with flashing lights, bells, gates and signs.
FRA noted a 195% increase in collision rate during ban hours at FEC crossings and 67% increase at CSX crossings.
July 26, 1991 – FRA issued Emergency Order No. 15 that ended whistle bans in Florida.
Current Florida Statute CH 351 (.03) – Any railroad train approaching within 1,500 feet of a public crossing shall emit a signal audible for such distance.

4. FRA’s Train Horn Rule History
Nov 2, 1994 Statutory mandate enacted by Congress (Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1994) to issue regulations requiring the sounding of locomotive horns at all public crossings, and to provide exceptions under specific conditions and circumstances.
Apr 1995 FRA completes and issues Nationwide Study of Train Whistle Bans.
Jan 12, 2000 Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is issued

5. FRA’s Train Horn Rule History (Contd.)
Dec 18, 2003 Interim Final Rule (IFR) is published, effective date of Dec 18, 2004
Nov 22, 2004 IFR effective date changed to Apr 1, 2005
Mar 18, 2005 IFR effective date changed to June 24, 2005
Apr 27, 2005 Final Rule is published
June 24, 2005 Final Rule goes into effect

6. FRA Changes in Train Horn Requirements
Requires the sounding of locomotive horn
approaching every public crossing (replacing
state law and railroad operating rules)
Horn shall be sounded at least 15 sec but no
more than 20 sec before locomotive enters
crossing and not greater than ¼ mile
Sec defines minimum and maximum
train horn decibel levels (96dBA-110dBA)
Effect of these changes will be to reduce horn noise for 3.4 million of the 9.3 million people currently affected by unregulated train horn noise.

7. Exception to Train Horn Sounding
No Significant Risk of loss of life or serious injury
Use of locomotive horn is impractical
Safety measures compensate for absence of horn
Establish Quiet Zone

8. Quiet Zone
A quiet zone is a section of a rail line that contains one or more consecutive public crossings at which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded.

9. Who may establish a Quiet Zone?
Public Authority with jurisdiction for the
roadway at the crossing
If Quiet Zone includes more than one Public Authority
– All agencies must agree
– Actions must be taken jointly
Quiet Zones may be established irrespective of state law

10. Minimum Requirements of a Quiet Zone
Minimum Length: ½ mile
Active Grade Crossing Warning Devices
(Flashing Lights & Gates conforming to MUTCD)
Constant Warning Time (CWT) Device
Advance Warning Signs

11. Example of Standard Flashing Lights & Gates

12. Quiet Zones: Two types Pre-rule Quiet Zones (none in Florida)
Where train horns were silenced between October 9, 1996 and December 18, 2003
New Quiet Zones
Any quiet Zones that do not qualify as Pre-Rule Quiet Zones
New Partial Quiet Zones
A Quiet Zone in which horns are only silenced between 10 P.M and 7 A.M
Same requirements as New Quiet Zone

13. How is a Quiet Zone established?
Approach # 1 Implement Suplementary Safety Measures (SSM) at every public crossing within a proposed Quiet Zone

14. SSM – Supplemental Safety Measures
SSMs are the engineering improvements applied at a crossing to reduce the risk of a collision
Temporary Closures
4-Quadrant Gates
Gates with Medians or Channelization
Devices
One-way Streets with Gates
Permanent Closure

15. Temporary Closure
Close the Crossing to Highway traffic during designated Quiet Zone periods
Crossing must be closed during the same hours every day
Public Authority maintaining the street is responsible.
Effectiveness: 1.0
*Effectiveness value for each SSM references the likelihood of a collision at the crossing as a result of SSM being installed compared to conventional crossing w/ train horn

16. Four- Quadrant Gate System
Install Gates to fully block the crossing when the gates are lowered
Gates must conform to standards contained in MUTCD
Effectiveness: 0.77

17. Gates with Medians or Channelization Devices
Install medians bounded by non-traversable curbs or channelization devices on both highway approaches.
Minimum curb height is 6-inches
Effectiveness: 0.80

18. One Way Street with Gates
Install Gates such that all approaching highway lanes are completely blocked
Effectiveness: 0.82

19. Permanent Closure Permanently close the crossing to highway traffic
Must completely block highway traffic
Barricades and Signs used for closure shall conform to standards contained in the MUTCD
Must account for traffic diverted to other crossing
Effectiveness: 1.0

20. Alternative to SSM within a Quiet Zone: Wayside Horn
Stationary horn system designed to sound like a Train Horn
Mounted at the crossing
Reduces noise pollution in neighborhoods located near grade crossings
Treated as a One-for-One substitute for the train horn
Warning sounded until train reaches the crossing

21. Wayside Horn (Contd.)
Horn system must be equipped with an indicator to notify the locomotive engineer that the wayside horn is functioning properly.
Horn system must provide a minimum of 92 dB(A) and a maximum of 110 dB(A)

22. Wayside Horn vs. Train Horn

23. Alternative Safety Measures (ASMs) All ASMs must be approved by FRA
Non-complying SSMs (e.g., shorter, or otherwise modified traffic channelization devices)
Photo enforcement
Programmatic education and awareness
Programmatic enforcement
Justification for any education or enforcement ASM must show a statistically significant measure of its effectiveness in reducing risk.

24. How is a Quiet Zone Established? (Contd.)
Approach # 2 (Risk based analysis)
Risk of a collision must be at the level that would be expected with the train horn sounding, or below a nationwide average risk level at public gated crossings where horns are sounded
3 Scenarios under this approach
Scenario # 1
Scenario #2
Scenario #3

25. Determination of Risk Components of Risk for each crossing
Expected number of collisions
Probability of a collision producing a facility or an injury
Average number of fatalities or injuries that occur in such collisions
Cost to society

26. FRA’s Quiet Zone Calculator
FRA’S Quiet Zone Calculator will calculate the risk index for each crossing, and other necessary values
The Quiet Zone Calculator can be used to develop and store multiple scenarios (try it with different combinations of SSMs) for any Quiet Zone proposal

27. Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI)
Represents average risk index for all crossings in a proposed quiet zone with the absence of train horn.
Risk index for each crossing is obtained from Quiet Zone Calculator developed by FRA (available online)

28. National Significant Risk Threshold (NSRT)
Represents the average risk index of all public gated crossings in the nation at which train horns are sounded.
NSRT value is calculated by FRA
NSRT value varies every year
15,424 (old value in IFR)
17,030 (as of April 27,2005)

29. Risk Index With Horns (RIWH)
Represents the average risk index in the proposed quiet zone that would exist if train horns were sounded at every crossing in a quiet zone

30. Approach #2 Scenario #1
Quiet Zone may be established without any supplementary safety measures or wayside horn if:
QZRI  NSRT
Reviewed annually by FRA to determine if the Quiet zone still qualifies under this rule

31. Approach #2 Scenario #2
Additional safety measures are taken at selected crossings so that:
QZRI  NSRT
Reviewed annually by FRA to determine if the Quiet zone still qualifies under this rule

32. Approach #2 Scenario #3
Additional safety measures are taken at selected crossings so that:
QZRI  RIWH
Not subject to FRA annual review
Local jurisdiction will never need to be concerned about the NSRT

33. Cost of a Quiet Zone Depends on Approach Methodology adapted
Number of crossings needing improvements
Type of improvement at a crossing

34. FRA Capital Costs of Equipment
Flashing Lights & Gates - $150,000
Flashing Lights & Gates to Four Quadrant Gates - $150,000
New Four Quadrant Gates - $300,000
Medians or Channelization Devices - $15,000
Vender supplied cost (Railroad Controls Limited)
Wayside Horn - $50,000

35. Hillsborough County Quiet Zones
Countywide study
Identified 81 potential crossings
Developed 15 Quiet Zones
Cost of implementing Quiet Zones based on Approach #1 is approax. $23,000,000
Cost of implementing Quiet Zones based on Approach # 2 is $ 4,700,000
Funding Options

36. Summary of Costs of Quiet Zones Established Based on Different Approaches for Hillsborough County

37. Funding Sources / Options
No Direct funding sources for Quiet Zones
Federal Government Programs (very low funding probability)
Federal Highway Administration Section 130 program
Administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Provides bulk of the federal crossing improvement fund.
Up to 10% of the cost of crossing improvement may be assessed to the affected railroads.
County’s efforts at receiving funds would be directed towards the State, not Federal government.
Innovative Financing
Special Benefit Assessment (Special Taxing District)
Identify Noise Impact Area

38. Train Horn Noise Concepts
Train horn noise is measured in dBA
dB = decibels, general strength of noise.
A = indicates that the sound has been filtered to reduce the strength of very low & high frequency sounds.

39. Acceptable Noise in Residential Area
“U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)”
Acceptable if  65 dBA
“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency”
Acceptable if  55 dBA

40. Impact Areas Determined by FRA’s horn noise model
Impact Area (within 55 dBA Contour)
Severe Impact Areas (within 65 dBA contour)
¼ mile on either side of the crossing

41. Typ. Impact Area in a Suburban Area

42. Required Notifications for New Quiet Zones
Notice of Intent: Railroad & State DOT
60 days notice to provide information and comments to public authority
Notice of Quiet Zone Establishment: RR & State DOT
21 day notice

43. Questions?