Rocky River Mayor Optimistic About Quiet Zone Discussion
June 27, 2016
By: John Benson, The Plain Dealer
June 27, 2016
Roughly half a dozen times a day Rocky River residents living near the Norfolk & Southern Railroad line have to deal with loud horns.
The biggest problem continues to be early morning trains blaring horns near railroad crossings (Elmwood Road, Wagar Road, Morewood Parkway and Linda Street) and underpasses (Smith Court and Blount Street).
"Last August, I convened a meeting with the two congressional offices of Jim Renacci and Marcy Kaptur, mayors from surrounding communities, Norfolk & Southern Railroad and the Ohio Rail Development Commission," said Rocky River Mayor Pamela E. Bobst.
"The idea was to talk about our concerns: the extensive blowing of horns, trains sitting on the track idling and the maintenance of their property."
The mayor said earlier this year she heard back from Ohio Rail Development Commission, which indicated Rocky River could benefit from a quiet zone. The designation requires an electronic track upgrade including power outage indicators, four quadrant gates and audible signals.
The quiet zone discussion comes nearly a decade after Rocky River initially explored the $850,000 option; however, the downturn in the economy not only kept the city from seriously considering the expenditure but also reduced daily rail traffic.
While Bobst currently considers the quiet zone discussion as premature to finding a resolution, she's optimistic about the possibility of keeping the peace either through a designated quiet zone or Norfolk & Southern Railroad reducing the noise on its own.
"These are positive discussions," Bobst said. "I will say I have not received the number of complaints early in this summer that I did receive last year. I asked several neighbors what are their impressions and they think it's a little better. I'm pleased to see that at least on that level they've responded to the needs of the community and talked to their conductors."
She added, "Safety is paramount for the city and Norfolk & Southern Railroad. We just want a consistent application of the horn blowing if we can't establish a quiet zone."