Some trackside residents in Whitefish and Columbia Falls are hoping to get some additional shuteye with the establishment of “quiet zones” at three different railroad crossings in the area.
City councils in both communities have discussed trying to revamp area railroad crossings so that passing trains will not have to sound their horns as they approach. Quiet zones are a half-mile stretch of tracks where trains will not blow their horn, except in emergency situations. Federal law requires railroad engineers to sound a horn 15 to 20 seconds before a train enters a crossing.
In Columbia Falls, Rep. Zac Perry recently tried to introduce a bill in the Legislature that would help communities get additional state funding via the Treasure State Endowment Program to build quiet zones. The effort was heavily supported by the city of Columbia Falls, which is trying to establish two quiet zone crossings, on Second and Fourth avenues. The bill has since been tabled, but that is unlikely to deter residents who are frustrated by loud locomotive horns.
In Whitefish, the city began looking for how to pay for a quiet zone at the Birch Point Drive crossing. Two other crossings in Whitefish, one on East Second Street and one on State Park Road, are already designated quiet zones.
“The (Birch Point) quiet zone will be the last of three crossings in the city to have been updated to quiet zone standards and it’s been on the planning books for a number of years, so we’re very interested in getting this done for area residents,” said Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld.
Although the Second Street and State Park crossings cost about $15,000 each to upgrade, according to Muhlfeld, the Birch Point crossing improvements will cost more than $700,000. The biggest expense will be widening the road to meet requirements set by the Federal Railroad Administration. According to the city, BNSF Railway has agreed to pay 20 percent of the cost of upgrading the crossing, the Montana Department of Transportation will pick up 40 percent and the city will pick up the rest. Muhlfeld said the city has considered setting up a special improvement district to help cover the costs.
Besides widening the road, a quiet zone crossing must have additional lights and a gate that blocks traffic. It also needs to have a median on either side of the tracks.
The installation of gates at the Birch Point crossing would also improve safety at the intersection. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the FRA, the number of crossing collisions has dropped 82 percent since the 1980s. One reason is that the number of gated crossings has increased by 111 percent.