Resident urges Hiram council to address frequent train horns and truck cut-throughs

Resident Tim Weaver told the Hiram City Council during public comment that frequent train horns near his neighborhood have become "ridiculous" and said trucks are cutting through Arnold Lane to reach a nearby parking lot rather than using the route intended for heavy vehicles.

"The train horns have just gotten to the point where it's ridiculous," Weaver said, adding that trains sometimes sound horns in the early-morning hours. Weaver said nearby Powder Springs has silenced many crossings and asked whether Hiram could pursue similar measures or other mitigations.

Weaver also described trucks using Arnold Lane as a shortcut to a parking lot at an angle onto a county road and noted that a 'no through trucks' sign exists but is poorly placed. He asked the council and staff to coordinate with Paulding County and local landowners to prevent heavy vehicles from using the neighborhood street.

Council members and staff said they would look into the complaints. During discussion, a council participant said the cost to implement full quiet-zone grade-crossing work had been quoted previously at more than $200,000, while Weaver and another participant referenced a less costly signage-only option of roughly $16,000. Those figures were presented in the meeting as past quotes or recollections and were not tied to a formal estimate or funding action in the transcript.

The council did not take formal action on the noise or truck-routing items during the meeting; presiding officers and staff said they would review the concerns and follow up. The transcript records agreement to investigate but contains no timetable or assigned staff report.