DeWitt’s train �quiet zone’ will come at cost

Font Size:

By Jason Liegois | Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:04 AM CDT | () comments

DeWITT, Iowa — The City of DeWitt will continue to investigate the possibility of a “quiet zone” within city limits to reduce the train noise that has been a longstanding concern of residents.

About 30 residents attended a public forum Monday before the DeWitt City Council’s regular meeting to express their views on the situation.

“Welcome to the whistle-blowing meeting,” Mayor Don Thiltgen said.

The complaints are a result of trains traveling along the tracks on the southern side of town, more than 40 of them every day. Several people who commented during Monday’s meeting lived on or near 1st Street, which runs immediately north of those tracks.

City Administrator Steve Lindner made a brief presentation, noting that if the city were to create a quiet zone, the current railroad crossings would have to meet or exceed current safety standards without train whistles.

“I’ve had calls each and every year about the train whistles, asking whether something can be done about it,” Lindner said.

He said one of the possible scenarios would call for improvements to two of the three railroad crossings in town, and the closing of the third intersection on 9th Avenue.

However, several residents said they opposed closing the 9th Avenue crossing because it would affect traffic and emergency services. Some said that considering the continued growth of the town, DeWitt will need more railroad crossings, not fewer.

“It could be a life-or-death matter with having that crossing and getting those ambulances there,” resident Glen McCullough said.

City officials also did not express much interest in closing the crossing.

“It will never get opened up again, and we’re going to need more crossings in the future,” council member Steve Hasenmiller said.

Lindner said the city could propose an alternative plan, but would have to meet the approval of federal transportation officials. Safety devices include creating solid lane dividers near the intersections to prevent cars from swerving through the crossing gates, and installing fixed sirens at the intersections to warn of oncoming trains. These sirens would be slightly louder than train whistles, but would affect a smaller area, Lindner explained.

Some residents near the tracks, like Charlene Kaszinski, said such sirens would make noise pollution worse for them. City leaders also expressed concerns about the maintenance costs and legal liabilities the city would have to bear for the sirens.

“It would really raise up our liabilities,” council member Kurt Ketelsen said.

Cost will be another factor. Lindner said rough estimates for the improvements needed for a “quiet zone” designation fall from $50,000 to $300,000, depending on which safety measures the city uses.

“The community can agree that things would be better with fewer horns, but at what cost?” Lindner asked.

City staff also will look into preventing trains from parking within the city. Many residents said the sounds and diesel fumes the trains give off while idled in town are as much of a nuisance as the whistles.

“They make that area a railroad yard,” resident Burt Fletcher said.

The city desk can be contacted at

(563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.