City of Plymouth Railroad Crossings Quiet Zones

On Monday 12/2/13 at 6:30pm (at the City of Plymouth City
Hall second floor) there will be a meeting about stopping the train horns (Quiet Zones).

To respectfully demonstrate your support, please

• attend the meeting and share your thoughts at citizen-comment time
• email the mayor ddwyer@ci.plymouth.mi.us 
• email the city manager psincock@ci.plymouth.mi.us
• email the City Commissioners listed at www.ci.plymouth.mi.us/Index.aspx?NID=12
• sign the petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/plymouthquietzones  (now with over 400 signatures on-line and on-paper)

For more information see https://sites.google.com/site/plymouthquietzone  or email PlymouthQuietZones@hotmail.com 

Request: The City of Plymouth, Michigan is encouraged

to consider taking steps to qualify railroad crossings for Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) "Quiet Zones" status which:

• prohibits trains from sounding horns except in
  emergencies;
• is safer than non-"Quiet Zone" railroad crossings;
• prevents drivers from going around the gates;
• potentially increases property values; and
• has been successfully done by 570 communities in
  accordance with federal regulations, which have allowed this since 2006.

Background: Since 2006, a federal regulation
("Train Horn Rule" 49 CFR 222) has required trains to sound horns at railroad crossings unless certain "Quiet Zone" criteria are met. A "Quiet Zone" is a half-mile length of track (quarter mile on each
side of crossing) where the FRA requires that trains not sound the horn except in emergencies. To meet the criteria, extra safety equipment is added such as signs and a raised concrete median along the yellow lines in the middle of the
street to prevent cars from driving around the closed gates.  The existing signs, gates, bells and flashing lights continue to be used.