OHIO LEGISLATION Whistle ban will quiet train-filled town
The cost to the Cleveland suburb could reach $400,000.
OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio (AP) -- Residents of this Cleveland suburb may soon be sleeping better at night.
Legislation that Gov. Bob Taft signed into law Wednesday allows towns to create "quiet zones" or "whistle bans" for trains. The law, which takes effect in 90 days, will undo a 1953 law that required trains approaching a crossing to blow their horns.
About 110 trains pass through Olmsted Falls each day, issuing warning blasts at each intersection -- more than 1,600 blasts a day.
"This is an example of how government succeeds and can provide practical help to people," Mayor Robert Blomquist said.
Improvements
Towns with "quiet zones" must increase safety around the crossings by adding gates, grade separations and lights. Each grade crossing improvement could cost between $100,000 and $200,000, and residents probably won't see any changes for at least a year, said Stu Nicholson, spokesman for the Ohio Rail Development Commission.
Funding for the crossing upgrades will come from a variety of sources. Cities must contribute a share, while state agencies, the federal government and some railroads will pitch in. The state will inspect quiet zones once every three years.
Blomquist said Olmsted Falls could pay about $300,000 to $400,000 for the upgrades.
Increased traffic
Railroad traffic increased through Olmsted Falls and other Cleveland suburbs about five years ago, when CSX and Norfolk Southern acquired Conrail. In 1995, about 20 trains passed through town each day; last year,110 did.
"It has been an astronomical amount of noise," said Sen. Robert Spada, a Republican from Parma Heights who introduced the bill in the Senate. He said the din has been "unbearable."
In 2000, several mayors asked the federal government for help in lowering train noise. They also tried other methods, such as building overpasses.
Last May, mayors met with state legislators and citizens lobbied officials and distributed petitions.
Rep. Tom Patton, a Strongsville Republican, introduced the bill in the House.
Patton recounted stories of the "2:30 Bandit," a nickname Olmsted Falls residents gave to the late-night train that blew its horn without interruption through the entire city.