One of Historic Downtown Plant City’s trademarks is the sound of the locomotives that thunder through its many railroad crossings. But the Plant City Commission is looking into halting the noise — at least some of it.
Commissioners are investigating funding options from the Florida Department of Transportation to assist with establishing quiet zones, as part of the commission’s 2016 legislative priorities.
Quiet zones are a section of a railway in which locomotives do not sound their horns. Locomotives would sound the horn as they approach the quiet zone and then would be silent until they were out of the zone.
In Plant City, the zones would be in Midtown, as well as Historic Downtown.
For quiet zones to be approved, local governments must apply to the Federal Railroad Administration. The timeframe between applying to the FRA and implementing quiet zones in a city typically is between two-and-one-half to three years.
“We have not applied for any regulatory review,” City Manager Mike Herr said. “We’re hoping to get funding through the state legislative process.”
When Plant City decides to begin the application process to the FRA, it also will be required to send a notice of intent to the Florida Department of Transportation. Once design and construction is complete, a notice of establishment must also be sent to the Florida Department of Transportation.
“This is something I think the city has interest in,” Herr said. “Having quiet zones in place makes (downtown) better for businesses.”
Herr also said quiet zones could bring more residential development to the city.
For the zones to be approved, the rail in question must be at least a half-mile long. In addition, safety improvements must be made at all applicable rail crossings.
“The horn is a necessary safety feature, no question about it,” Herr said. “We never want to compromise safety for motorists or pedestrians.”
Improvements made to the quiet zone rail crossings include four-quadrant gates, which would have two rail gates on each side of the rail. Other safety improvements include gates with medians, flashing lights at rail gates and one-way streets with gates. For the city, funding for the quiet zones can vary from $250,000 to $1 million.
“(Funding) will vary depending on what safety features are most suitable to fit the crossing,” Herr said. “The improvements don’t take a great deal of time.”
With improved safety features, quiet zones are continuing to increase in popularity. Currently, there are 16 quiet zones throughout Florida. Cities with quiet zones include Orlando, Lakeland, Boca Raton, Ocala and Miami. According to the FRA, there are 659 quiet zones throughout the United States.
BY THE NUMBERS
16: the number of quiet zones throughout Florida.
5: the number of cities in Florida with quiet zones
659: the number of quiet zones throughout the United States
SOURCE Federal Railroad Association
LOUD BUT SAFE
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, locomotives are required by law to sound their horns for at least 15 seconds before approaching a rail crossing. The locomotives are not supposed to exceed 20 seconds of sound. Typically, the sound of the horn ranges anywhere from 96 to 110 decibels.
If a quiet zone is established, locomotives would still be able to sound a horn in an emergency situation. All local governments must apply to the FRA to receive approval for establishing a quiet zone.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.