City of Plymouth Railroad Crossings Quiet Zones

Skim the images at http://plymouth-mi.patch.com/groups/announcements/p/what-does-train-horn-noise-look-like-in-the-city... then...

Please plan to attend the Monday 1/6/14 6PM meeting on Quiet Zones to ensure they are placed into the City Commission's handful of official “goals” for 2014.  Please put it on your calendar now while it is on your mind. 

To respectfully demonstrate your support, please

• attend the meeting and share your thoughts at "citizen comment" time (first item on agenda)
• email the mayor ddwyer@ci.plymouth.mi.us
• email the city manager psincock@ci.plymouth.mi.us
• email the City Commissioners listed at www.ci.plymouth.mi.us/Index.aspx?NID=12
• sign the petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/plymouthquietzones (now with over 500 signatures on-line and on-paper)

Request: The City of Plymouth, Michigan is encouraged to consider taking steps to qualify railroad crossings for Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) "Quiet Zones" status which:

• prohibits trains from sounding horns except in emergencies;
• is safer than non-"Quiet Zone" railroad crossings;
• prevents drivers from going around the gates;
• potentially increases property values; and
• has been successfully done by 570 communities in accordance with federal regulations, which have allowed this since 2006.

Background: Since 2006, a federal regulation ("Train Horn Rule" 49 CFR 222) has required trains to sound horns at railroad crossings unless certain "Quiet Zone" criteria are met. A "Quiet Zone" is a half-mile length of track (quarter mile on each side of crossing) where the FRA requires that trains not sound the horn except in emergencies. To meet the criteria, extra safety equipment is added such as signs and a raised concrete median along the yellow lines in the middle of the street to prevent cars from driving around the closed gates. The existing signs, gates, bells and flashing lights continue to be used.