Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
FRA approves Varley Drive addition to Silver Line quiet zone; Coppell staff to coordinate implementation
Summary
Coppell staff told the council the Federal Railroad Administration approved adding the Varley Drive crossing to the Silver Line quiet zone after local and DART noise monitoring and updated traffic counts; DART operations will implement the quiet zone this week and staff will coordinate outreach to affected residents.
Aaron Tanter, assistant director of public works engineering, told the council on April 14 that the Federal Railroad Administration has approved adding the Varley Drive crossing to the Silver Line commuter-rail quiet zone.
Tanter said Varley Drive is more than 2,000 feet from the nearest residential land use, which placed it outside the federal noise‑analysis threshold of 1,200 feet during earlier planning. DART conducted noise monitoring at the Riverchase apartments in December and concluded no substantial impact; afterward the city collected additional data, including traffic counts that were lower than those used in the original planning study. Coordinated documentation and reapplication led to FRA approval, Tanter said, and DART operations were in the process of informing Silver Line staff and implementing the quiet zone "this week." (Speaker: Aaron Tanter, assistant director of public works engineering.)
Council members and residents noted the change followed dozens of complaints reporting frequent horn noise that disturbed neighborhoods. Tanter emphasized that a quiet zone reduces routine horn sounding but does not eliminate horns when safety circumstances arise; trains may still sound horns for hazards, pedestrians or construction activity.
Councilors asked whether DART or city staff had communicated with the Riverchase HOA; Tanter said DART has been communicating with stakeholders and that staff would follow up to ensure management and affected residents are informed. He thanked DART and FRA staff for their coordination on a relatively quick reapplication process.
No formal council action was recorded; staff reported the approval and implementation timeline and will continue outreach to residents and property managers.
