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

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

Floridas ExperienceJuly 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.

FRAs Train Horn Rule HistoryNov 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

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

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 mileSec. 229.129 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.

Exception to Train Horn SoundingNo Significant Risk of loss of life or serious injuryUse of locomotive horn is impracticalSafety measures compensate for absence of hornEstablish Quiet Zone

Quiet ZoneA 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.

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

Minimum Requirements of aQuiet ZoneMinimum Length: mileActive Grade Crossing Warning Devices (Flashing Lights & Gates conforming to MUTCD)Constant Warning Time (CWT) DeviceAdvance Warning Signs

Example of Standard Flashing Lights & Gates

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

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

SSM Supplemental Safety MeasuresSSMs are the engineering improvements applied at a crossing to reduce the risk of a collisionTemporary Closures4-Quadrant GatesGates with Medians or Channelization DevicesOne-way Streets with GatesPermanent Closure

Temporary ClosureClose the Crossing to Highway traffic during designated Quiet Zone periodsCrossing must be closed during the same hours every dayPublic 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

Four- Quadrant Gate SystemInstall Gates to fully block the crossing when the gates are loweredGates must conform to standards contained in MUTCDEffectiveness: 0.77

Gates with Medians or Channelization DevicesInstall medians bounded by non-traversable curbs or channelization devices on both highway approaches.Minimum curb height is 6-inchesEffectiveness: 0.80

One Way Street with GatesInstall Gates such that all approaching highway lanes are completely blockedEffectiveness: 0.82

Permanent ClosurePermanently close the crossing to highway trafficMust completely block highway trafficBarricades and Signs used for closure shall conform to standards contained in the MUTCDMust account for traffic diverted to other crossingEffectiveness: 1.0

Alternative to SSM within aQuiet Zone: Wayside HornStationary horn system designed to sound like a Train HornMounted at the crossingReduces noise pollution in neighborhoods located near grade crossingsTreated as a One-for-One substitute for the train hornWarning sounded until train reaches the crossing

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)

Wayside Horn vs. Train Horn

Alternative Safety Measures (ASMs)All ASMs must be approved by FRANon-complying SSMs (e.g., shorter, or otherwise modified traffic channelization devices)Photo enforcementProgrammatic education and awarenessProgrammatic education and awarenessProgrammatic enforcement

Justification for any education or enforcement ASM must show a statistically significant measure of its effectiveness in reducing risk.

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 sounded3 Scenarios under this approachScenario # 1Scenario #2Scenario #3

Determination of RiskComponents of Risk for each crossingExpected number of collisionsProbability of a collision producing a facility or an injuryAverage number of fatalities or injuries that occur in such collisionsCost to society

FRAs Quiet Zone CalculatorFRAS 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

http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/quiet/

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)

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 FRANSRT value varies every year15,424 (old value in IFR)17,030 (as of April 27,2005)

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

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

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

Approach #2 Scenario #3Additional safety measures are taken at selected crossings so that: QZRI RIWHNot subject to FRA annual reviewLocal jurisdiction will never need to be concerned about the NSRT

Cost of a Quiet ZoneDepends on Approach Methodology adaptedNumber of crossings needing improvementsType of improvement at a crossing

FRA Capital Costs of EquipmentFlashing Lights & Gates - $150,000Flashing Lights & Gates to Four Quadrant Gates - $150,000New Four Quadrant Gates - $300,000Medians or Channelization Devices - $15,000

Vender supplied cost (Railroad Controls Limited)Wayside Horn - $50,000

Hillsborough County Quiet ZonesCountywide studyIdentified 81 potential crossingsDeveloped 15 Quiet ZonesCost of implementing Quiet Zones based on Approach #1 is approax. $23,000,000Cost of implementing Quiet Zones based on Approach # 2 is $ 4,700,000Funding Options

Summary of Costs of Quiet ZonesEstablished Based on Different Approaches for Hillsborough County

Funding Sources / OptionsNo Direct funding sources for Quiet ZonesFederal Government Programs (very low funding probability)Federal Highway Administration Section 130 programAdministered 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.Countys 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

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

Acceptable Noise in Residential AreaU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)Acceptable if 65 dBAU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAcceptable if 55 dBA

Impact AreasDetermined by FRAs horn noise modelImpact Area (within 55 dBA Contour)Severe Impact Areas (within 65 dBA contour) mile on either side of the crossing

Typ. Impact Area in a Suburban Area

Required Notifications forNew Quiet ZonesNotice of Intent: Railroad & State DOT 60 days notice to provide information and comments to public authorityNotice of Quiet Zone Establishment: RR & State DOT21 day notice

Questions?