U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall pressed the Federal Railroad Administration in a letter today to work with Commerce City and swiftly review the city’s application to establish a new railroad crossing quiet zone. The new quiet zone, located on 96th Avenue, would be the fifth for the Adams County community and would improve Commerce City residents’ quality of life and support local businesses by reducing train noise.
“The city is waiting for a determination on its waiver application to create a fifth quiet zone using a wayside horn system in combination with other safety features such as crossing arms, bells and flashing lights,” Bennet and Udall wrote in the letter. “It is our understanding that many other communities around the country have already used wayside horn systems as one part of an accident prevention system, and that they have proven a safe solution for municipalities where traditional measures to achieve a quiet zone status may not be feasible. We ask that you give the waiver application submitted by Commerce City every appropriate consideration consistent with all applicable laws and regulations.”
Udall and Bennet have worked tirelessly to protect public safety while also ensuring that train-noise regulations do not stifle job growth, hamper economic development or detract from Coloradans’ high quality of life. They successfully amended the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to require that the Federal Railroad Administration work with Colorado communities to find ways to make its rules for establishing railroad crossing quiet zones less burdensome.
Pressure from Bennet and Udall prompted the Federal Railroad Administration to promise in June to work with Congress to ensure its train-noise and quiet-zone rules protect public safety while also working for Colorado communities. Bennet and Udall also have urged the Federal Railroad Administration to be more flexible in how it allows Colorado towns and cities to meet its quiet-zone requirements.
To read the letter, scroll below:
Administrator Joseph C. Szabo
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Administrator Szabo,
We write to urge you to give fair and timely consideration to the train horn waiver request from the City of Commerce City, Colorado.
As you know, we have written to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on several occasions this year urging you to work with municipalities to achieve flexible, affordable solutions that maintain safety at grade crossings while minimizing the impact of train horn noise. We all share a common goal: to maintain safety for pedestrians, drivers and train operators, while minimizing the noise pollution near highway grade crossings that impacts residents and can often stunt the economic growth of affected city centers.
Since the Train Horn Rule was finalized in 2005, Commerce City has collaborated with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to create four FRA approved quiet zones. The city is waiting for a determination on its waiver application to create a fifth quiet zone using a wayside horn system in combination with other safety features such as crossing arms, bells and flashing lights. It is our understanding that many other communities around the country have already used wayside horn systems as one part of an accident prevention system, and that they have proven a safe solution for municipalities where traditional measures to achieve a quiet zone status may not be feasible.
We ask that you give the waiver application submitted by Commerce City every appropriate consideration consistent with all applicable laws and regulations. Thank you for your attention, and please notify our respective offices when the FRA has reached its decision on this matter.
Sincerely,