Horns in SW

From Tigardtimes.com, "P&W Railroad protests commuter rail horn-noise reduction plan"

Portland and Western Railroad, the owner of the freight railroad tracks that WES commuter trains operate on, this week asked the Federal Railroad Administration to block a request by TriMet to reduce the volume of horn warning blasts that WES trains are required to use as a safety measure at rail line crossings.

TriMet requested the waiver from the railway administration in June after WES safety horn noise at crossings along the 14.7-mile commuter rail route prompted a rash of complaints from local residents. WES operates during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours with service linking Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville. The line features 38 crossing, some of which are alongside residential areas where complaints have been frequent.

In addition to seeking a five-year waiver to reduce the volume of the horns from 80 to 60 decibels, TriMet also wants a permanent waiver from having to use WES warning horns at all in the Lombard Avenue area of downtown Beaverton.

Ron Russ, general manager of Portland and Western in Oregon, Monday said that if approved, TriMet’s plan to reduce horn noise would result in reduced safety at commuter rail crossings.

“We are very sensitive to public safety,” Russ said. “This will create very serious public safety concerns.”

Russ said the train horn decibel levels should remain in place to assure that motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are aware of approaching trains. He said motorists are often distracted by noise within their cars from radios or stereo music. This noise can exceed 110 decibels, he said.

Meanwhile, Russ said the federal railroad administration already requires that freight train locomotives use horns that blast at 96 decibels. Russ said TriMet’s waiver request for WES trains, which are driven by Portland Western engineers, would place railroad engineers in an “untenable position” having different noise standards for different trains that they may operate.

Instead of seeking a waiver to reduce the horn noise from WES commuter train cars, Russ said TriMet should work with local cities to employ measures to establish “quiet zones” at crossings that maintain high levels of safety. He said these measures are being explored in Tualatin by TriMet and the city and include the use of directional horns that are mounted on the ground, not on railcars. As such, he said the horns may not be as disruptive to the public. Russ said he felt TriMet was trying to save money by seeking the waiver and not institute “quiet zones.”

“It’s all about how much you value public safety,” Russ said.

TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen disagreed and on Wednesday said he was disappointed by Portland and Western’s appeal.

“TriMet would not have advocated a reduction in train horn noise unless we were satisfied the WES trains’ operations would be safe,” Hansen said. “The thrust of the P&W argument is that safety issues trump all other considerations. In TriMet’s experience, safety and customer/community concerns are not mutually exclusive and are reconciled daily as our trains navigate 38 gated crossings in a wide mix of traffic conditions.”

Hansen said TriMet would continue to pursue the horn waivers despite Portland and Western’s objections