HOME     HISTORY     FACTS     THE PETITION     COMMENTS     CONTACT      
 
Some Facts

Brenham's Grade Crossings - With Existing Safety Measures
 
 FRA Quiet Zone Indices 
 ZoneIDScenarioID Crossing* Street WarningDevice  SSM PreSSM RiskIndex
 23202 30981 022840VINDUSTRIAL BLVD Gates  0  0 22308.28
 23202 30981 022842JJACKSON ST Gates  0  0 55571.42
 23202 30981 022843R4TH ST Gates  0  0 18829.28
 23202 30981 022844X3RD ST  Gates  0  0 15440.91
 23202 30981 022845E2ND ST Gates  0  0 14640.60
 23202 30981 022846L1ST ST Gates  0  0 12475.80
 23202 30981 022849GPEABODY ST Gates  0  0 14607.14
 23202 30981 022850BBU 290 Gates  0 14** 55826.24
 23202 30981 022851HBU 290 Gates  0 14** 22159.55
 23202 30981 022852PVULCAN ST Gates  0  0 12678.05
 23202 30981 022854DUS 1100 Gates  0 0 22982.25
  * Only Public At Grade Crossings are listed.
 ** Existing Supplemental Safety Measure:  One-Way Streets with Gates
 

Proposed Quiet Zone:

 CITY OF BRENHAM

Type:  

 Pre-Rule 24-hour QZ
     Scenario:    CITY OF BR_30981

Estimated Total Cost:  

         $0.00

Nationwide Significant Risk Threshold:  

    18775.00

Risk Index with Horns:  

    33943.11

Quiet Zone Risk Index:  

    24319.96
 
  ALERT: Quiet Zone qualifies because QZRI is less than Risk Index with Horns.
 
This table was produced by the Pre-Quiet Zone Calculator on the FRA's web site.

 

 

Brenham's Quiet Zone Proposals

 

 LOCATION OPTION 1 OPTION 2
 Industrial Blvd. Medians $ 10,000  Medians$ 10,000  
 Jackson Street Horns  130,000 Horns    130,000
 College Avenue Medians    20,000 Medians      20,000
 Third Street Medians    10,000 Horns    115,000
 Second Street Medians    10,000 Medians      10,000
 First Street Medians    10,000 Horns    115,000
 Peabody Street Medians    10,000 Horns    120,000
 Vulcan Street Closure      5,000 Closure         5,000
 FM 577 Medians    25,000 Medians      25,000
 TOTALS                     $230,000                        $550,000

 

From City of Brenham Possible Capital Bond Projects special workshop presentation,

February 26, 2009.

 

 

_________________________________________________________

 

Texas Communities with Railroad Quiet Zones
 

 CITY (TEXAS ) 
 RAILROAD COMPANY
 Angleton UP
 Austin UP
 Austin AUAR
 Austin/Avery AUAR
 Austin/Cherrywd AUAR
 Austin/Crestview AUAR
 Austin/IBM AUAR
 Cedar Park TXNW, AUAR
 Flatonia UP
 Fort Worth UP
 Fort Worth 1 BNSF, Amtrak,
 Fort Worth 2 FWWR
 Fort Worth 3 TRE
 Grand Prairie UP
 Houston, West Loop Corridor       (12 additional studies pending) UP
 Irving DART, TRE, TREX
 Lewisville KCS
 Marathon UP
 Midland UP
 Murphy UP
 Plano KCS
 Plano BNSF RR
 Richardson DART
 Richardson KCS
 Richmond BNSF
 San Antonio UP
 Sugar Land BNSF
 Texarkana KCS
 Watauga

 UP

 

From the FRA's Quiet Zone Locations report,12/16/09


Railroad Quiet Zones
A "quiet zone" is a group of railroad grade crossings, covering a minimum 1/2 mile, at which trains are prohibited from sounding their horns under ordinary circumstances.
 
The Federal Railroad Administration allows the establishment of a quiet zone within a community when other safety measures (paid for by the community) compensate for the absence of the horns.
 
As of 11/19/09, there are 33 Texas communities where quiet zones have been established. (Quiet Zone Locations)
 
2007 quiet zone incidents in Texas (57KB PDF, opens in a new window/tab.)
 
2008 quiet zone incidents in Texas (52KB PDF, opens in a new window/tab.)
 
2009 quiet zone incidents in Texas (None reported as of Sept 2009.)


Railroad Regulations
FRA's Train Horn Rule Fact Sheet  (33.2KB PDF, opens in a new window/tab.)
 

FRA's Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings


Train noise 

Starting in 2010, train horns are to have a maximum volume level of 110 decibels. This is according to the FRA's Train Horn Rule Fact Sheet. No mention of distance. A power saw at 3 feet is typically 110 decibels.

[12/7/09: Per the FRA's Matt Enderle, "Measurements for the sound level of horns are taken 100 feet in front of the locomotive and 15 feet above the top of the rail."]

Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Joe Faust, Director of Public Affairs & Community Contact for Texas