Quiet Zone Update
We are pleased to provide an update on the status of the Quiet Zones. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted an inspection of the corrections made to railroad crossings, and we are happy to report that all crossings passed the inspection – excluding the crossing at 1700 S in Salt Lake City.
Here’s the current status of the final step:
- On 11/21/2024, the property owner near 1700 S selected the option to relocate the driveway to the east, increasing its distance from the gate arm from 43 feet to 168 feet—well beyond the required standard.
- As of today, the design for the driveway relocation is nearing completion, and a legal agreement is being finalized for review and approval by the property owners.Once the agreement is executed and recorded, crews can proceed to close the current driveway and begin the relocation process. Salt Lake City is awaiting the finalization of the agreement before providing an updated timeline for this process.
- Once the agreement is executed and recorded, crews can proceed to close the current driveway and begin the relocation process. Salt Lake City is awaiting the finalization of the agreement before providing an updated timeline for this process.
We understand that the ongoing noise from train horns has been disruptive, and we sincerely appreciate your continued patience as we work to restore the quiet zone as soon as possible.
Background on the Quiet Zone Situation
In October, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conducted an inspection of all at-grade railroad crossings between Salt Lake City and Provo, including those within Lehi City. During the inspection, minor deficiencies were identified at several crossings, primarily involving medians that were just shy of the new FRA standards. These medians were originally installed to prevent vehicles from driving around gate arms when they are lowered to signal an approaching train.
While these deficiencies posed no immediate safety risk, they did prevent the restoration of the quiet zone, which was originally established in 2012. This agreement, made between the FRA and the cities and counties along the FrontRunner line, allowed trains to pass through without sounding their horns at specific crossings, provided safety measures were in place.
The FRA updated its standards for medians, no longer counting the length of the plowable end toward the total length. This change meant that some medians that were once compliant no longer met the new guidelines, resulting in the suspension of the quiet zone.
All railroad crossings within the Quiet Zone (From Provo to Salt Lake City) must be inspected and meet FRA safety standards, with improvements completed as necessary, before the Quiet Zone can be reinstated. In Lehi City, three medians were identified as non-compliant. These medians needed modifications, including raising two of them to allow the gate arms to function properly and extending one by six feet to meet the updated FRA standards.
After several months of hard work, all deficiencies have been addressed and inspected, and we are now just waiting on Salt Lake City to finalize the necessary adjustments at 1700 S. Once these adjustments are completed, the quiet zone will be fully reinstated, and the train horns will no longer be heard at these crossings.
We appreciate your understanding and patience!
