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Work Begins on Quieting Remainder of North Valley Crossings Residents Living North of Osuna Road Will soon Hear Less Train Noise
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“The
quiet zones we’ve put in place have made a significant difference in
this area in terms of train noise reduction”, says Lawrence Rael,
Executive Director for the Mid-Region Council of Governments. “With
the addition of these last six crossings going quiet, more
neighborhoods and businesses along the Rail Runner corridor will now
be less impacted by the sound of train horns”. Over the next three-to-four weeks crews will start
setting foundation and installing cable for the new equipment needed
for the Quiet Zone crossings. They will be installing new gate
mechanisms, light assemblies and new electronic equipment where
needed, and making circuit changes to existing electronic equipment. “The big issue here is
safety”, says Transportation Secretary Gary L. J Girón. “These quiet
zones are meant to keep motorists from trying to beat a train
through the crossing. The obvious bonus of course is that they also
reduce the impact of noise in the community”. Within the next few weeks, quiet zone equipment
bungalows will be delivered, and crews will begin wiring them into
the system. Once that is complete, they will start testing them, and
place them into service by the end of July.
“This is wonderful news”, said Bernalillo County Commissioner
Michael C. Wiener, District 4. “This quiet zone will make life much
more palatable for those who live in my district in the north
valley. Many are looking forward to this encouraging change." Up until the last few
years, all trains were required to issue a warning horn as they
approached railroad crossings in the city. But Federal Railroad
Administration rules released in 2005 outlined specific safety
guidelines that would qualify a crossing for quiet zone status when
equipped with additional warning signs and safety measures to
compensate for the absence of the train’s horn as a warning device.
Following appropriations from the 2007 legislative session, the Rail
Runner corridor between Contacts:
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