Many on council voice concern over possible cost of upgrading rail crossing signals.
By: Kara Fitzpatrick
MONTGOMERY The Township Committee has opted to conduct a study that will determine the necessary measures needed to provide railroad "quiet zones" in the municipality.
Under a recent ruling by the Federal Railroad Administration, quiet zones allow for the silencing of train horns at highway-rail grade crossings if the proper safety needs are met. Increased noise associated with train horns, Mayor Louise Wilson said, is proving to be increasingly disturbing to residents.
"There’s more and more trains," Mayor Wilson said Wednesday at the committee’s work session. "Residents have been complaining."
The $17,740 study will determine the extent and expense of those additional safety measures. Before becoming quiet zones, the at-grade crossings of which the township has four must meet criteria put forth by the FRA, Mayor Wilson said. The township’s at-grade crossings are located on Province Line Road, Spring Hill Road, Hollow Road and Route 601.
Township Committee members have made it clear that the study doesn’t guarantee that the measures will be taken by the municipality rather, they say, the study is being conducted to assess the situation.
The study, Mayor Wilson said, "is certainly not a commitment to spend money down the road."
The cost of the recommendations that may stem from the study are "really a mystery," Mayor Wilson said, but numbers that were discussed at the meeting indicate that the cost of creating quiet zones could be as much as $500,000.
Extra safety measures beyond flashing lights and gates may be required to make up for the lack of the horn as a caution, according to the FRA.
The resolution to go forward with the study passed 4-1, with Committeewoman Cecilia Birge voting against the measure. "I just don’t think we’ll have the funds to complete quiet zones, especially with the amount of capital projects" lined up for the future, Ms. Birge said. "I think it’s a good idea, just not now," she said.
Committeeman Mark Caliguire voted yes "with some hesitation." Mr. Caliguire had similar concerns as Ms. Birge.
He said he didn’t believe the township would have the money in the future to create quiet zones. But, he said, "I think it’s a good idea to do the study."
Ms. Birge said Wednesday if creating quiet zones was solely for safety reasons, "I would have no problem spending whatever it takes." But she said complaints simply about noise didn’t seem to warrant spending at this time.
Mayor Wilson had a different take. "It’s about quality of life," she said Wednesday.
On Thursday, Mayor Wilson said, "We really do want to understand whether or not this is something to shoot for. We sort of want to know the science of it."