Description

The City would like to reduce the noise caused by train horns as the trains approach the Spruce Street/Greenough Drive railroad crossing. The horn blasts can be disruptive to people who live and work near the crossing, especially when the horns are sounded throughout the night as well as during the day.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requires trains to sound their horns at least 15 seconds before they reach a public crossing as a warning to motorists and others of the approaching train. This is a safety measure to prevent conflicts between trains and people crossing the tracks.

UPDATE - January 19, 2023

What’s the status of this project?

Public Works & Mobility staff continue to work on solutions that will allow wayside horns to be installed at this intersection. We have removed vegetation along the tracks to make room for some of the equipment required for the wayside horn installation, and we have the required FRA documentation in place. Before we can order the necessary equipment, we must have an agreement in place with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (they are in the process of taking ownership of this rail line from Montana Rail Link) regarding equipment and signage installation and maintenance responsibilities. In addition, we need assurance that trains will not sound their horns at the Taylor St. railroad crossing if we install the wayside horns at the Spruce St./Greenough Dr. crossing.

Please know that we are doing everything within our power to move the project forward as quickly as possible while continuing to prioritize public safety. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

UPDATE - July 15, 2022

What’s the status of this project?

The plan to install wayside horns at the intersection is still in the works. Public Works & Mobility has the required documentation in place and is waiting on the following:

• Montana Rail Link (MRL)/Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) to issue the temporary right-of-way occupancy permit that will allow the City to remove vegetation for train operator visibility and install the equipment required for the wayside horns, and
• an agreement approved by MRL/BNSF regarding equipment and signage installation and maintenance.

*At this time, we are not able to predict how soon this project can be implemented because we don’t know how much longer the above tasks will take.*

Update - October 25, 2021

On October 21, 2021, Missoula Redevelopment Agency (MRA) authorized funding in an amount not to exceed $200,000 to complete installation of wayside horns at the Spruce/Madison/Greenough railroad crossing.

Next Steps:

• Public Works & Mobility will coordinate with project consultant Triple Tree Engineering on the scope of work for final engineering and design, coordination with Montana Rail Link (MRL), permitting, and miscellaneous other details.
• The City will seek a written agreement with MRL that trains will no longer sounds their horns at the Taylor St. railroad crossing (private crossing) after the City installs the wayside horns at the Spruce/Madison/Greenough railroad crossing.
• Once a final contract with Triple Tree and a fabrication and installation contract with Rio-Tech, manufacturer of the wayside horns, is approved by City Council, the wayside horns will be installed.

The anticipated timeframe for installation to be completed is late spring to early summer 2022.

Update - August 2021

Results from the June wayside horn testing showed significantly lower noise levels in the nearby neighborhoods for the wayside horn when compared to the levels for the train horns. So, the next steps the City will take to move forward with a wayside horn project are as follows:

• secure project funding,
• amend our contract with the engineering consultant to assist with project design and the steps below,
• secure required permits,
• purchase the equipment, and
• coordinate with Montana Rail Link to install equipment.

We are working to have the funding in place this fall so that we can go to bid on the equipment and labor during the winter for installation in the late spring/early summer of 2022. We will continue to update this page as we work through the process.

Update - June 17, 2021

On June 2, 2021, the City’s Public Works & Mobility Department ran tests at 2:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to measure sound levels from wayside horns, which if installed would remove the requirement for trains to sound their horns as they approach the Spruce Street/Greenough Drive railroad crossing. Results from these tests are available in a memo from our project consultant: Missoula Wayside Horn Demonstration Summary.

Our next steps will be to review the test results with our consultant and look at funding options to install the wayside horns on a permanent basis.

Wayside horn test location #1 - north of tracks

Bucket truck used to elevate wayside horn for testsWayside horn test location #2 - south of tracks

Possible Solutions

The City hired a consultant to look at all possible solutions for stopping the use of train horns at this railroad crossing. The result was that the City basically has two options: establish a "quiet zone" or install wayside horns. See the attached Missoula Quiet Zone Preliminary Engineering Study for a detailed description of both options. In addition, Montana Rail Link has stated that if the City employs either of these proposed options, they agree they will also stop sounding train horns at the Taylor Street private crossing (east of Spruce Street) except in emergency situations.

Option 1 - Establish a Quiet Zone

Establishing a quiet zone can be a lengthy and expensive process. The FRA has very specific crossing upgrade requirements for a railroad crossing to be designated as a quiet zone. The City would be responsible for all costs related to the upgrades. Requirements include the following:

• Installation of additional closure gates, concrete medians, or a combination of the two that would prevent motorists from driving around lowered gate arms.
• Installation of additional flashing lights, power outage indicators, and advance notice signs telling motorists that trains do not sound horns.
• Pedestrian gates may be required due to the high volume of pedestrian traffic at this crossing.
• Realignment of the sidewalk on the southwest and northeast areas of the crossing may be required to allow for installation of pedestrian gates.

Time Frame: About a year for FRA design review and approval plus an additional year for construction, depending on the final design.

Project Cost: Estimated to be between $440,000 and $630,000, depending on final design, and would need to go through the Community Improvement Project (CIP) process for funding.

Option 2 - Install Wayside Horns

Wayside horns are approved by FRA as an option for eliminating the train horn requirement. They are mounted at the crossing site and are directed downward toward the traffic approaching the crossing. If wayside horns are installed, the City would not need to establish a quiet zone to stop the use of train horns at the intersection. Additional details include the following:

• Current flashing lights and closure gate arms would remain and continue to be used.
• Wayside horns result in significantly less noise than train horns (see sound distribution maps below).

Time Frame: Installation would take a few months to coordinate with Montana Rail Link and to order and install wayside horns.

Project Cost: Estimated to be around $130,000.

Train Horn versus Wayside Horns—Sound Distance and Decibel Levels
Train Horn Sound Distribution Map	Wayside Horn Sound Distribution Map
Train Horn Sound Distribution Map - Zoomed	Wayside Horn Sound Distribution Map - Zoomed

Traffic Operations

Description

In addition to the quiet zone analysis, the City had asked the consultant to evaluate the existing traffic flow and safety concerns at the intersection of Spruce Street and Madison Street just west of the railroad crossing. The City wanted to see if combining the quiet zone solutions with solutions to traffic safety concerns at this intersection would be feasible.

Possible Solutions

The consultant analyzed the area to determine if lane modifications or adding a roundabout could provide better operations at the intersection while maintaining or enhancing vehicle and pedestrian safety in the area. The consultant recommended the following:

"Based on this traffic analysis, the installation of a roundabout would provide improved traffic flow through this area and would clear traffic faster after a train has passed. The roundabout would also improve safety by allowing vehicles to clear the tracks, lowering vehicle speeds, and providing better pedestrian facilities. It is recommended that the installation of a roundabout design be explored in detail at this location. Geometric challenges of installing a roundabout at this location will need to be considered. If possible, the intersection of 2nd Street and Greenough Drive should be modified with a roundabout or a separated left-turn lane for northbound traffic. This modification would require moving the 2nd Street approach to the north by approximately 50-100 feet."

See the attached Spruce Street Railroad Crossing Traffic Report for a detailed description of the analysis.