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Board approves downtown railroad quiet zone funding to reduce horn noise
Summary
The Hammond Capital Improvement Board approved $70,000 to pursue quiet zones on the Norfolk Southern line through downtown, targeting five crossings; the board will petition Norfolk Southern and the Federal Railroad Administration as part of the process.
The Hammond Capital Improvement Board approved a $70,000 funding allocation to establish railroad quiet zones on the Norfolk Southern line through downtown Hammond.
The funding, moved by Councilman Salinas and seconded by Councilman Rakos, is intended to cover engineering and petition costs to the railroad and federal agencies. "This looks at creating 5 crossings that would be contained within the quiet zone on the Norfolk Southern Line that is at Willow Court, State Street, Sibley, Oakley, and Seoul Avenue," a board speaker said during the meeting.
Board members said the request would initiate petitions to Norfolk Southern and the Federal Railroad Administration to seek formal quiet-zone designation; the board did not adopt any local ordinance during the meeting. No schedule for completion of engineering work or a firm timetable for the FRA petition was provided.
The motion carried 4-0, with no dissent. Officials said the action would begin the process of engineering and formal petitioning but did not specify longer-term costs or potential impacts on emergency response procedures.
The board discussed a separate quiet-zone allocation later in the meeting targeting Hessville crossings; both items were approved separately.
