Title: Federal Railroad Administration's Ruling:
1Federal Railroad Administration's Ruling
- Use of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade
Crossings Establishing Quiet Zones
2Why 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
3Floridas 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.
4FRAs 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
5FRAs 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
6FRA 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. 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.
7Exception 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
-
8Quiet Zone
- A quiet zone is a section of a rail line
thatcontains one or more consecutive
publiccrossings at which locomotive horns
arenot routinely sounded. -
9Who 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
10Minimum Requirements of aQuiet Zone
- Minimum Length ½ mile
- Active Grade Crossing Warning Devices
- (Flashing Lights Gates conforming to MUTCD)
- Constant Warning Time (CWT) Device
- Advance Warning Signs
11Example of Standard Flashing Lights Gates
12Quiet 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
13How is a Quiet Zone established?
- Approach 1 Implement Suplementary Safety
Measures (SSM) at every public crossing within a
proposed Quiet Zone
14SSM 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
15Temporary 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
16Four- 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
17Gates 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
18One Way Street with Gates
- Install Gates such that all approaching highway
lanes are completely blocked - Effectiveness 0.82
19Permanent 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
20Alternative to SSM within aQuiet 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
21Wayside 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)
22Wayside Horn vs. Train Horn
23Alternative 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 education and awareness
- Programmatic enforcement
- Justification for any education or enforcement
ASM must show a statistically significant measure
of its effectiveness in reducing risk.
24How 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
25Determination 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
26FRAs Quiet Zone Calculator
- FRAS 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/
27Quiet 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)
28National 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)
29Risk 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
30Approach 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
31Approach 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
32Approach 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
33Cost of a Quiet Zone
- Depends on
- Approach Methodology adapted
- Number of crossings needing improvements
- Type of improvement at a crossing
34FRA 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
35Hillsborough 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
36Summary of Costs of Quiet ZonesEstablished Based
on Different Approaches for Hillsborough County
37Funding 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. - 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
38Train 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.
39Acceptable 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
40Impact Areas
- Determined by FRAs horn noise model
- Impact Area (within 55 dBA Contour)
- Severe Impact Areas (within 65 dBA contour)
- ¼ mile on either side of the crossing
41Typ. Impact Area in a Suburban Area
42Required Notifications forNew 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
43Questions?