A divided Morgan Hill City Council Jan. 25 approved an approximately $88,000 expense for a consultant to conduct a “quiet zone” study at selected railroad crossings in town.
A quiet zone is a section of railroad tracks, typically located in “residentially sensitive” areas, in which a train proceeds silently, without the conductor blasting the horn as an approach warning, according to a city staff report.
Quiet zones, which are governed by the Federal Railroad Administration, are created with the use of safety measures to enhance the crossing. These measures include enhanced gate systems for vehicles and pedestrians, traffic signal coordination and more.
In Morgan Hill, the study, to be conducted by Michael Baker International, will specifically look into establishing quiet zones on the Union Pacific tracks where they cross Dunne, Main and Tilton avenues, according to city staff. These intersections are located in higher-density residential neighborhoods where the train horn, particularly late at night, can be disruptive.
The council voted 3-2 to approve the $88,330 study, with Mayor Steve Tate and Councilman Rene Spring opposed.
Tate noted that if the study determines that quiet zones are possible at any of the intersections in question, the cost to construct and develop each quiet zone is $3 million to $6 million—a sum the mayor said is too high for the city to commit to, or to even embark on a study that might not lead to any action.
“I don’t know where it falls in our list of priorities,” Tate said. “To me the safety issues we have on our other streets need to be looked at as well. I’m just saying don’t do it now. Let’s figure out our priorities first.”
Spring noted the cost of the study is almost “$90,000 for a project we may never get financed.”
He added that the state’s High Speed Rail project presents another potential hindrance. If the HSR Authority chooses an alignment through Morgan Hill that follows the UP tracks, that could make the study a moot point.
But Mayor Pro Temp Larry Carr suggested if the study determined quiet zones are feasible and desirable in Morgan Hill, the city should try to convince the HSRA to help pay for the construction of the zones.
He added that “eliminating the train horn” in some of the city’s higher-density residential areas is a quality of life improvement that is worth pursuing.
The study is expected to be complete in six months, according to city staff. The cost of the study is funded by the city’s long range planning fund and the public facilities fund.
