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Shawnee council weighs permanently closing Lake Crest Drive to reduce train-horn noise
Summary
At a September council meeting, staff summarized options to reduce train-horn noise at the Lake Crest Drive crossing, including permanent closure, engineered safety measures and noise barriers. Residents urged swift action; council directed staff to seek cost estimates and railroad input.
Council President Kurt Nappan opened a discussion of the Lake Crest Drive rail crossing after staff presented several options to limit train-horn noise for nearby residents.
Assistant City Manager Lauren Grasshopper told the council that residents in the Riverview subdivision have raised repeated concerns about horn and bell noise and that federal rules oblige trains to sound horns at public grade crossings. "They are much louder than any truck," Grasshopper said, adding that horns typically sound 15 to 20 seconds before a crossing and are restricted to no more than a quarter mile away. She said the city met with BNSF and the State Department of Transportation and performed an on-site diagnostic on Sept. 5.
Staff presented four alternatives: permanently close Lake Crest Drive to vehicles and pedestrians; close the road to vehicles but retain pedestrian access; install supplemental safety measures recommended in a 2018 analysis so a quiet zone could be established; or install noise-mitigation barriers while leaving crossings and bells active. The 2018 study estimated about $184,000 for roadway improvements but did not include consultant fees; staff said up-to-date cost estimates depend on what the railroad would accept for a permanent closure.
Grasshopper warned of federal constraints on mitigation. She said bells and gates that deploy when a train is stopped cannot be timed out or reduced in volume under federal rules, which limits quiet-zone effectiveness in some scenarios.
Residents who signed up to speak urged the council to act. Jason Ray said the memo understates train activity and described frequent freight-train passings and long stoppages that keep bells ringing for hours; "I'm the dummy that moved near the train and now wants to talk about it," Ray said. He reported taking an inside measurement of about 84 decibels at night. Tom Wheeler described the horn as "ear piercing" and estimated outdoor levels near 100 decibels when a horn sounds.
Council members asked staff for more information on costs, potential impacts to emergency access and options to reroute or connect nearby streets (Woodland or a connection toward the Hermes landscaping site). Staff said police and fire have reviewed the proposal and do not object to a permanent closure for emergency response at this time, but noted future development could change that analysis.
City Manager Paul Kramer said the central question was whether the council wanted staff to explore permanent closure and the implications with the railroad. Several council members indicated they would be willing to pursue that direction pending detailed cost information and railroad response.
Next steps: staff will seek updated cost estimates for engineered improvements, request operational data from BNSF (including frequencies and timings), clarify what a permanent closure would require from the railroad, and return to council with options. No formal vote on a quiet-zone or closure was taken at the meeting.
