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effect” created by the body of the locomotive to indicate a lower sound level than <br />would otherwise be expected several hundred feet in front of the locomotive <br />(where the crossing and approaching motorists are located). <br /> <br />$ The effect of these changes will reduce noise impacts for 3.4 million of the 9.3 million <br />people currently affected by train horn noise. <br /> <br />3. Creation of quiet zones: <br /> <br />$ The rule provides significant flexibility to communities to create quiet zones, both where <br />there are existing whistle bans and in other communities that heretofore have had no <br />opportunity to do so. <br /> <br />$ The Final Rule permits implementation of quiet zones in low-risk locales without <br />requiring the addition of safety improvements. <br /> <br />T This concept utilizes a risk index approach that estimates expected safety <br />outcomes (that is, the likelihood of a fatal or non-fatal casualty resulting <br />from a collision at a highway-rail crossing). <br /> <br /> T Risk may be averaged over crossings in a proposed quiet zone. <br /> <br /> T Average risk within the proposed quiet zone is then compared with the <br />average nationwide risk at gated crossings where the horn is sounded (the <br />“National Significant Risk Threshold” or “NSRT”). FRA will compute <br />the NSRT annually. <br /> <br />The effect of this approach is that horns can remain silenced in over half of Pre-Rule <br />Quiet Zones without significant expense; and many New Quiet Zones can be created <br />without significant expense where flashing lights and gates are already in place at the <br />highway-rail grade crossings. <br /> <br />$ If the risk index for a proposed New Quiet Zone exceeds the NSRT, then supplementary <br />or alternative safety measures must be used to reduce that risk (to fully compensate for <br />the absence of the train horn or to reduce risk below the NSRT). <br /> <br />$ The Final Rule– <br /> <br />T Retains engineering solutions known as “supplementary safety measures” for <br />use without FRA approval. <br /> <br />T Retains explicit flexibility for the modification of “supplementary safety <br />measures” to receive credit as “alternative safety measures.” For instance, <br /> <br />Disclaimer: This is a summary of the Final Rule for initial briefing purposes only. Entities subject to the rule <br />should refer to the rule text as published in the Federal Register on April 27, 2005. <br />The "Train Horn" Final Rule Summary <br />Quiet Zone Evaluation <br />New Brighton, Minnesota <br />B3 Spack Consulting