The City of Emeryville and representatives of the Alameda County Transportation Commission officially unveiled their completed Railway ‘Quiet Zone’ project to the public last Friday, August 16.
The ceremony, held in what is now a Cul de Sac at the foot of 66th Street, concluded a six year process that began with a petition.
At the time, many ridiculed the project as unnecessary while others attested that the late night horn blaring was disruptive to their sleep and mental health.
After securing funding and a three year design process that was interrupted by the pandemic, construction on the project kicked off about two years ago. Construction of the project was implemented by MNS Engineers, Inc.
The $11.5 million price-tag was paid for by a combination of SB1 “Gas Tax” funds, Measure BB and local city funds.
Some safe streets activists have been critical of the project as it involved removal of a crosswalk at 65th. Drivers disliked the removal of the 66th street crossing which offered a shortcut from the frequently congested 65th street intersection.
This construction concluded on July 26 and Councilmember John Bauters, who helped push for the project, teased its completion via his X account on August 5.
Bauters is currently running to represent District 5 of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The project might be considered a bit of a ‘parting gift’ to the city culminating his eight years of service on council.
The Emeryville Quiet Zone starts today for railroad crossings at 65th, 66th, and 67th Streets!@JohnBauters pic.twitter.com/3hQnfUv4lj
— Emeryville, CA (@EmeryvilleCA) August 5, 2024
At Friday’s ribbon cutting event, dignitaries blew kazoos to as a nod to the sound of train noise now diminished. 2024 Emeryville Mayor Courtney Welch, a nearby neighbor to the tracks, expressed her enthusiasm with the projects completion and benefit to residents. “Sweet Dreams to all my neighbors and thank you Councilmember Bauters” acknowledging her colleague’s commitment and efforts to seeing the project through.
The area, once referred to as Butchertown and the site of many stockyards, has blossomed into more of a residential neighborhood over the past few decades. Recent housing projects include Avalon Public Market (167 units), Bayview (186-units) with the potential for more on the way.
Cycling in the area has also been recently buoyed by new protected bikeways along Shellmound leading to Aquatic Park.
Aquatic Park is on the verge of a potential renaissance with efforts by the City of Berkeley and a new pedestrian bridge across I-80 at Ashby in the works.
Quiet Zone FAQs:
What is a Quiet Zone?
A Quiet Zone is an exception to a blanket federal rule requiring train engineers to sound train horns for 15-20 seconds as they approach public grade crossings. The exception, or “quiet zone” allows for a local public authority such as a city or county to create a designated zone in which no train horn can be sounded along a line of rail once it has established certain safety improvements. These safety improvements are expected to reduce risk by approximately 90%.
Emeryville has successfully satisfied the technical requirements that will ensure that passing trains no longer routinely sound its horn in this new zone. These requirements include ‘supplemental safety measures’ (or SSMs), plus added physical barriers restricting access to pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Where is the zone and what does it look like?
The zone has been established at the 65th, 66th, and 67th street railroad crossings along Shellmound Street. The SSMs and barriers at each intersection vary accordingly:
- At Shellmound and 65th, new quad gates, sidewalk, median, and pedestrian gates were installed.
- Shellmound and 66th saw the Full Closure of the rail crossing, replacing it with a closed cul-de-sac on its east side.
- Over at Shellmound and 67th, a new traffic signal, quad gates, and pedestrian gates were installed.
Does this mean there will be no horn sounds at all in this area?
No. The zone being established means it has satisfied enough safety requirements to merit a decreased risk to the public. Trains can still go ahead and sound their horns in case of emergency or other authorized exceptions as needed. You may be familiar with the standardized pattern of train horns. The required horn pattern blow goes as follows: two long horn blasts, one short, and one final long blast. Residents near the established quiet zone will no longer regularly hear these regular blasts of sound, which can reach up to a max volume of 110 decibels. There may be times when the engineer will still need to make use of the horn pattern. There should be a significant decrease in this type of noise pollution, however.
How much did the establishment of the Quiet Zone cost and what are its funding sources?
The project cost a total of $11.5 million and has received funding from the SB 1 Gas Tax via the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) via Measure BB Funds and CMA TIP (Congestion Management Agency Transportation Improvement Program) Funds. Lastly, the project is funded by Emeryville city funds. It is unclear how much funding from the city’s coffers was used, but the cost of the project ballooned significantly from initial estimates, having been approved at an initial cost of $6.48 million.
More about these Quiet Zones can be read on the City’s website.
I think this is a good thing overall. Yeah it sucks that a crossing is eliminated but we’ll adapt easier than a blaring horn in the middle of the night.
Such a welcome development. These damn train horns wake people at 3AM on the east side of San Pablo! Who genuinely deserves the most credit for making this happen.