Arvada residents living along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks could sleep a little easier next year with the establishment of “quiet zones” at four crossings.
City Council recently approved a $1.8 million agreement with Union Pacific that will see barriers and gates added where the tracks intersect at Lamar and Carr Streets, Olde Wadsworth Boulevard and West 66th Avenue.
Arvada communications manager Maria Vanderkolk said the city has been in discussions for more than five years with the Federal Railroad Administration, the Public Utilities Commission and Union Pacific on getting the quiet zones approved.
“It’s expensive — we got a couple approved elsewhere about 10 years ago, then we had issues with these four and they’re right in the heart of the city,” Vanderkolk said. “We told the neighborhood this would be done last year… various and sundry delays means this has literally taken years to get approved.”
Train horns are sounded in compliance with federal rules and regulations, which require a train to blast its horn for 15 to 20 seconds at any public crossing. Under terms of the agreement, the city will install four-quadrant gate systems — or gates with four arms, in addition to flashing lights and ringing bells, at the four crossings. These type of gates make it difficult for motorists to drive around.
Once they’re built, the trains will no longer have to blast their horns and the Union Pacific train will run quietly through the entire length of Arada.
“Without a quiet zone, people see a train coming and think they may be able to beat it and skirt around the gate,” Vanderkolk said. “With a quiet zone, you construct a barrier so the car physically can’t get around it.”
Michael Smith has lived blocks from the railroad tracks in his home near 64th Avenue and Field Street for almost 35 years. He said over the years, the trains have become more frequent and the horns so prevalent that at times they have kept him and family members from getting a good night’s sleep.
Things got so bad they considered moving, but decided to stay once it became clear the city was working to address the problem.
“We really appreciate the work city staff has done on getting this completed,” Smith said. “It’s a lot of money, but it will be great for the community.”
The city is coordinating with the railroad on getting the crossings built by the end of 2015, said Chris Sveum, a city civil engineer.
She added: “There’s no guarantee the trains still won’t have to sound their horns from time to time, but this should cut down the rate by 95 percent.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com or twitter.com/abriggs