Photo credit: Krivec Ales
by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition, and Honorary Chair, Quiet American Skies
As someone who gets many calls regarding noise problems, I’ve heard from many people around the country about how much the noise from trains at railroad crossings has disturbed them. So it was with great pleasure that I learned that the city of Olathe, Kansas will be looking to create quieter railroad crossings.
Although the Federal Railroad Administration requires trains to blow their horns at crossings, Olathe plans to have fewer railroad crossing where horns have to be sounded, except in emergencies. The city is doing this by declaring certain areas as “quiet zones,” which is permitted by the FRA. Olathe also plans to upgrade crossings within the quiet zones, and is considering expanding these zones in the future.
This action on the part of Olathe City Council strongly suggests that the adverse effects of noise on health and well-being are being recognized.
