What is a Quiet Zone?

A Quiet Zone is a railroad grade crossing at which trains are prohibited from sounding their horns in order to decrease the noise level for nearby residential communities. The train horns can be silenced only when other safety measures compensate for the absence of the horns.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) train horn rule provides localities nationwide with the opportunity to establish Quiet Zones. The federal rule pre-empts all applicable state laws. To qualify, communities wishing to establish Quiet Zones must equip proposed grade crossings with adequate safety measures to overcome the decrease in safety created by silencing the train horns. The additional safety measures must be constructed at the community’s own expense and must meet federal specifications. The federal rule also contains language, which for the first time restricts the volume of train horns.

In response to a legislative mandate, FRA has issued a Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. This final rule, which requires that locomotive horns be sounded as a warning to highway users at public highway-rail crossings, took effect on June 24, 2005. The final rule provides an opportunity, not available before, for thousands of localities nationwide to mitigate the effects of train horn noise by establishing new Quiet Zones.

What is the Status of the Washington Quiet Zone?

The Washington Corridor is currently under consideration for implementation of a Quiet Zone. In fact, the City of Houston's Public Works Department has created a plan to implement the Quiet Zone. Funds have been allocated for fiscal years 2008 through 2013 to implement these Quiet Zones.

The opportunity for our neighborhood lies in the fact that there are 13 other areas of Houston that are also seeking Quiet Zone designation, and financial resources for implementation of Quiet Zone plans are limited.

The City of Houston is in the process of prioritizing the 14 potential Quiet Zones and a list will be announced in the coming weeks. We want to be first on the list!

As with many City Government issues, traditionally the "squeaky wheel gets the grease," and the more residents of the area we can get to call, e-mail and mail in their support for the Quiet Zone, the higher we may be placed on the list of priority Zones.

If we, as a neighborhood, will voice our support of the initiative, we can look forward to realizing the Washington corridor's true potential and raising our quality of life.

The Washington Corridor Quiet Zone is finally getting implemented.  The Residents have spoken- loud and clear!  Construction is to be completed in April 2010.  The Quiet Zone is an area where the train is not allowed to blow its horn when crossing a major intersection.  There is a major rail line that runs through the Washington Corridor which consist of residential neighborhoods: The Old Sixth Ward, West End, Memorial Heights, Sawyer Heights, Camp Logan and Rice Military. 

These neighborhoods have experienced revitalization over the past 10 years.  What used to be a community of dilapidated bungalow homes on block and beams have transformed to 3-story townhomes and single-family homes.  The property value excelled from $50,000 a home to an average of $350,000 in a matter of 5 years.  The draw to the area is the proximity to Downtown Houston, Memorial Park and neighboring communities such as River Oaks and Hyde Park.  Though the location was convenient, the train was not! 

The train has always been a nuisance to the residents.  A few residents claim that the train conductor blared its horn at least 30 times a day.  I personally own a home less than a block away from the train and I can attest to that.  The train runs day and night.  After a while, you adapt to your environment and the horn becomes silent noise, dare I say.  On the other hand, now that the Quiet Zone is coming into fruition, this change will be much easier to adapt to.

Below is a picture of a townhome along the Wasington Corridor and train track.