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Bonner County explores community‑funded quiet zone process for rail crossings
Summary
Commissioners and Road and Bridge staff discussed a draft proposal for neighborhood‑funded quiet zones near the East Sully crossing; staff will ask county legal to review whether the county can serve a coordinating role without incurring taxpayer costs.
Bonner County commissioners and Road and Bridge staff discussed a draft process for establishing quiet zones at rail crossings where neighbors raise funding and hire engineers to meet federal criteria, rather than relying on county funding.
Staff said Union Pacific crews will install crossing arms at the East Sully Crossing soon, funded through the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). Commissioners and staff then turned to the county’s broader approach to quiet zones and a draft community‑funded model prepared by a staff member named Matt.
Jason, Road and Bridge staff, said the East Sully Crossing project will include crossing arms paid through ITD. “They wanted to start April 1, but we've had road limits on…That'll have crossing arms in there. That's getting paid for through ITD,” Jason said. The meeting then addressed community interest in quiet zones and county liability for silencing train horns.
A staff member explained a draft concept in which an engaged neighborhood would form an LLC, raise funding, hire an outside engineer, and coordinate the required safety improvements. Under that draft, the county’s role would be limited to coordination on a county road, not funding or performing the heavy lifting of federal permitting and engineering. “If people want quiet zones, it's a process that they can use and they can pay for it. It shouldn't be the county taxpayers paying for, for a quiet zone,” Jason said.
Commissioners and staff agreed the next step is to have county legal review the draft to confirm the county can participate in a coordinating role without creating taxpayer liability. One commissioner summarized the approach as potentially “a win‑win” if legal confirms it and the community supplies funding and completes the improvements; staff would then bring the proposal back to the board for formal consideration.
Ending: Road and Bridge will ask legal to review the draft quiet‑zone process; if legal clears the approach, staff will return the revised draft to the commissioners for consideration.
