Quiet zone established in Tiffin

After about 5 years, The City of Tiffin has finally established its Railroad Quiet Zone, which went into effect July 1. A quiet zone is a section of a rail line at least one-half mile in length that contains one or more consecutive public highway-rail grade crossings, and within which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded when trains are approaching crossings, according to information from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). As of 2019, according to a list compiled by the FRA, there are currently 14 quiet zones established throughout the state of Ohio. The pursuit of the project was introduced to Tiffin City Council in 2017 with the passage of an ordinance to establish a quiet zone. Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz said establishing a quiet zone has been on the city's radar for some time, but due to the cost of the project, they had to wait until now to pursue it. Partnering with the city are the Ohio Rail Development Commission, CSX, FRA, Heidelberg and Tiffin universities and private residents/business owners. "If not for these partnerships, the project never would have happened," Montz said. The project has been estimated at around $3-$4 million. The bills for the project have not been finalized for the final cost at this time. The universities have contributed $600,000, with the city's portion at $300,000. Montz said having a quiet zone established will benefit everyone in the community by eliminating noise pollution, increasing property values and hindering the disruption of events and activities hosted by the city. According to the FRA, under the Train Rule, conductors are to begin sounding a train horn at least 15 seconds, and no more than 20 seconds, in advance of all public grade crossings. If a train is traveling faster than 60 miles per hour, conductors are not to sound the horn until it is within a quarter-mile of the crossing, even if the warning is less than 15 seconds. According to Montz, there are 434 train horns blown a day, which amounts to 18 per hour or one every 3.3 minutes. Train horns are to be sounded in a standardized pattern of two long, one short and one long blast. The sound is around 110 decibels maximum, and 96 decibels minimum, according to the FRA. Quiet zones direct train horns from being sounded when approaching public highway-rail grade crossings. According to the FRA, train horns may still be used in emergencies or comply with other federal regulations or railroad operating rules. Currently, Tiffin is at 176% above the Federal Rail Commission's significant risk index. With the improvements implemented and the creation of the quiet zone, the risk index will drop to 46%, according to information provided by Montz. To establish a quiet zone, there needs to be a letter of intent filed. Within there are certain recommendations that need to be met. Specifically for Tiffin, City Engineer Matt Watson said the first project was the closure of the Holm and North street crossings. These crossings were determined by the cost to improve them and were recommended as problematic crossings by a diagnostic survey team. CSX installed quad gates at the remaining five crossings and the Tiffin Public Works Department installed loop detection systems. These detections are another safety measure that if a vehicle does come in between the gates, the gates would then open allowing the vehicle to exit the crossing. Another project is the East Market and Perry street improvement project. This project added another lane to reduce the flow of traffic and the chance for vehicles to be backed up on the tracks. Once the crossings meet the criteria, the community sends a letter of intent to all agencies that may be impacted by the quiet zone. For example, the town's two universities, Heidelberg and Tiffin, were included in the petition to create the quiet zone. Also, donating money to help make the projects happen without having to use all taxpayer dollars. Rail lines run east and west along the north side of the Heidelberg campus. This is the location of the university's main performing arts facilities — Gundlach Theater and Brenneman Music Hall. "Train noise is often a major disruption to plays, performances, speakers, and concerts," Rod Morrison, associate vice president for Facilities & Engineering at Heidelberg, said. It is not unusual for performers and speakers to have to pause in their presentations to wait for the train noise to subside." Morrison said other activities across camps can also be impacted depending on the direction of the wind. "The successful establishment of a quiet zone will do much to mitigate the issues caused by the need for train engineers to sound their horns at the crossings nearest to the camps," Morrison said. Morrison said the project will also enhance the safety in and around the area of the rail line. TU has a major rail line on the north side of its campus near two residence halls, the Gillmor Student Union, and other facilities. Mike Herdlick, associate vice president for Institutional advancement at TU, said, a train passes through campus approximately every 15-25 minutes and the noise from the horns and the train movement can be extremely loud and make it difficult to sleep and concentrate. "The quiet zone is a huge benefit to our students who live directly next to the rails," Herdlick said. In addition, student-athletes will benefit from the quiet zone as TU's tennis courts are located near the rail line as well. "This will be a game-changer to improve their playing conditions as well as for those participating inside at events in the Heminger Center," Herdlick said