What some city officials have described as the loudest issue of their careers in government is expected to soon fade out.
Trains that began to pass through the northern suburbs in increasing numbers in recent years will stop blowing their horns as they pass through come mid- to late June, according to Joel Hanson, city manager in Little Canada.
That’s when the much anticipated “quiet zone” that has been in the works since state funding was approved for the project in 2014 is expected to take effect in Little Canada and Shoreview.
“It will make a lot of the lives of residents easier,” Hanson said. “In my career in city government, I have never had another issue generate as many calls. … People have been very patient waiting for this to happen. … We just ask for their continued patience a little longer as we near the end of this process.”
Work on upgrading the necessary crossing signals in the two suburbs to meet the Federal Rail Administration’s requirements for quiet zones began in April.
City officials had hoped they would be operational as soon as the end of the month, but complications with getting power to the crossings caused a delay, Hanson said.
Quiet zones permit train conductors to not sound their whistles when passing through designated areas. Otherwise, horns are blown four times on the approach to every crossing, adding up to a lot of noise for nearby residents, Hanson and others have said.
When complete, all six of the crossings in Little Canada will have cross arms and flashing lights. Two crossings in Shoreview are also getting upgraded with state funding. The city paid to upgrade its two remaining crossings on its own.
When the final features are in place, trains will be able to chug through both cities without a single whistle blow.
“It will be an improvement to the quality of life,” said Terry Schwerm, city manager in Shoreview. “I would call it one of the most significant quality-of-life issues we have had in this community in a while.”
BUSIER TRACKS
Driven by increased shipping needs in the recovered economy and changes in Canadian Pacific Railway’s operations, the northern suburbs saw rail activity climb in 2013, causing sleepless nights for some residents and frequent disruptions during the day.
While Schwerm said train traffic has dropped some since then, Shoreview still fields inquiries from frustrated residents.
The Legislature in 2014 earmarked nearly $2 million to the two cities to pay for the crossing upgrades necessary for quiet zones, which cost roughly $250,000 per crossing, Hanson said.
Once the zone is operational, Little Canada will have also contributed about $110,000 to the project, Hanson estimated. Schwerm put Shoreview’s contribution at about $75,000 for the two crossings.
Residents should refrain from expecting a change as soon as the final flashing light is up, Hanson added.
City officials will have to then issue a 21-day notice to the Federal Rail Administration, affected railroad companies and the Minnesota Department of Transportation letting them know about the zone.
After that, Hanson said, things should finally quiet down.
