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Sandpoint-area residents ask Bonner County to pursue 'quiet zone' to stop train whistles
Summary
A community group asked Bonner County commissioners to place a 'quiet zone' checklist on a future agenda and authorize a phase‑1 feasibility effort for Bottle Bay Road, offering to raise funds and help with coordination among FRA, BNSF and county staff.
During public comment Oct. 7, Bonner County resident Matt Loam asked the board to consider a community-driven plan to reduce train‑whistle noise at Bottle Bay Road and across a corridor of crossings. He said train whistles increased after a bridge widening and described an effort to produce a "quiet zone checklist" that addresses engineering, funding and interagency coordination.
Loam said his neighborhood is prepared to raise funds for phase‑1 work—finding a consultant engineer and testing feasibility—and that the checklist is intended to limit demands on county Road & Bridge staff by organizing community resources and a clear process for owner/agency coordination (Federal Railroad Administration, BNSF, county departments, and private groups).
Staff told Loam that the document has been under legal review and that the board will place the item on a future agenda for formal consideration after attorney review is complete. Commissioners and staff thanked the resident for the work and asked him to stay engaged as counsels and Road & Bridge complete review.
