Highlights of the Locomotive Horn Rule

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Highlights of the Locomotive Horn Rule

• Grade Crossing Safety
• Billings, MT
• March 2006

Disclaimer This presentation is a short summary
of the final final rule for general information
only. Entities subject to the rule should refer
to its text as published in the Federal Register
on April 27, 2005.
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Overview

• Final Rule on Use of Locomotive Horns at
  Highway-Rail Grade Crossings was published April
  27, 2005
• Rule describes specific steps communities can
  take to create quiet zones

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Overview

• Three objectives
• Ensure a high level of public safety
• Respond to the many communities that have
  continued to press for relief from unwanted train
  horn noise
• Take into consideration the interests of
  localities with existing whistle bans

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Background

• Most states have laws that require trains to
  provide an audible warning while approaching
  public crossings
• Some states have permitted whistle bans under
  state law or home rule
• This rule is required by statute in order to
  provide a National policy for train horn use

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What the Rule Does

• Requires horns to be sounded to warn motorists at
  public crossings
• Provides exceptions where risk is minimized
• Enables communities to establish quiet zones by
  reducing the risk caused by lack of horns

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Whats new in the Final Rule?

• Pedestrian crossings
• Partial (less than 24-hour) Quiet Zones
• Pre-existing SSMs
• Intermediate Quiet Zones
• Notification comment periods

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Horn Use at Crossings

• Use of the train horn
• Time-based pattern (15-20 secs)
• New maximum volume limit
• Overall effect train horn noise reduced in
  communities
• Noise reduced for 3.4 million persons
• Noise reduced 38 for those most affected

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Creating a Quiet Zone

• Local governments will have two ways of creating
  a quiet zone
• Show that the lack of the horn does not pose a
  significant safety risk (loss of life or serious
  injury)
• or
• Implement safety measures to reduce excess risk
  associated with no horn

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Quiet Zones Three Types

• Pre-Rule Quiet Zones
• Areas without train horns on October 9, 1996 and
  on December 18, 2003
• Intermediate Quiet Zones
• Areas without train horns after October 9, 1996
  and before December 18, 2003
• New Quiet Zones
• Quiet Zones that do not qualify as Pre-Rule or
  Intermediate Quiet Zones

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Risk-Based Exceptions

• All quiet zones must consider risks of not
  sounding horn
• Risks are quantified through Quiet Zone Risk
  Index (average risk) calculation
• Some Quiet Zones will qualify without safety
  improvements

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Zones Based on Risk

• Quiet Zone risk must be below
• The national average risk level that would be
  expected at a gated crossing with the train horn
  sounding (NSRT), or,
• The risk level that would exist if train horns
  were sounding (RIWH)
• A corridor may qualify as a Quiet Zone without
  further safety improvements
• Applies to all three types of Quiet Zone

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Acceptable QZ Risk
To create New QZ
Risk w/o horn
Reduce risk to the NSRT
or
Risk w/ horn
To the RIWH
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Risk at Pre-Rule Quiet Zones

• Qualified for Automatic Approval if
• QZRI lt NSRT, or
• QZRI lt 2 x NSRT, and no relevant collisions in
  past 5 years
• QZRI lt RIWH
• Note New Quiet Zones must have flashing lights
  and gates at all public crossings.

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Supplementary Safety Measures (SSMs)

• Closures (permanent temporary)
• 4 quadrant gates
• One-way street with gate across width
• Channelization arrangements (traversable and
  non-traversable) with gates

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Supplementary Safety Measures
Four-quadrant gates Entrance gates descend
followed by exit gates.
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Supplementary Safety Measures
Channelization (traversable curb with
delineators)
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Alternative Safety Measures (ASMs)

• Non-complying SSMs (e.g. shorter traffic
  channelization devices)
• Photo enforcement
• Programmatic education and awareness
• Programmatic enforcement
• Engineering treatments

Education and enforcement options must
demonstrate a statistically significant
improvement in effectiveness, and must be
approved by the FRA.
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Wayside Horn

• Considered as an equivalent to a supplementary
  safety measure
• 1 for 1 replacement for train horn
• Available only at gated crossings

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FRA Assistance

• FRA personnel will be available to help local
  governments assess safety measures for their
  crossings
• FRA has provided a Quiet Zone Calculator can be
  used to develop and store multiple scenarios for
  each proposed Quiet Zone
• http//safetydata.fra.dot.gov/quiet

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Final Rule

• Rule becomes effective June 24, 2005
• For additional information http//www.fra.dot.go
  v

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• Questions???