"Palo Alto City Council has decided to install new gates at three Caltrain crossings so that the trains will stop sounding their horns. Council and residents wanted the new "quiet zone" to be established as soon as possible, but city Senior Engineer Ripon Bhatia said the project will take at least 32 months. Unanimous decision Council on Monday unanimously abandoned the idea of installing wayside horns that blare outwards from each crossing before trains go by."
"Council members Pat Burt and Julie Lythcott-Haims defended their position on the Rail Committee to spend time investigating horns placed on the side of crossings that direct a loud warning sound at the roadway to alert drivers and pedestrians. Wayside horns would be faster and cheaper to install, but they'd still make noise. Instead, council voted 5-0 to pursue "quad gates" that block off the entire crossing as trains pass at Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive and Charleston Road."
Palo Alto will pursue quad gates at three Caltrain crossings to create a quiet zone that stops trains from sounding horns. The council rejected wayside horns that direct loud warnings at roadways and instead chose gates that fully block crossings at Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive and Charleston Road. The upgrade requires Federal Railroad Administration safety compliance, coordination with Caltrain, and approval from the California Public Utilities Commission. Project cost is estimated at $4.1 to $5.6 million and will take roughly 32 to 50 months to complete. Residents have reported sleep interruptions and long-standing noise impacts.
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