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Board continues work on railroad quiet zone and considers county joint-road agreement
Summary
Board members discussed updated train counts (reported as about 16 per day), possible fencing and pedestrian-gate changes for a quiet zone, and a county joint‑jurisdiction agreement that could bring significant road, storm‑sewer and sewer improvements if the village transfers a stretch of Shabbona Road to county control.
The Chair updated the board on progress toward pursuing a railroad quiet zone and described outreach to the Federal Railroad Administration/ICC and the railroad. Staff reported an updated train count of roughly 16 trains per 24 hours and said that updated vehicle and pedestrian counts must be plugged into the quiet-zone qualification calculator; ICC incentives could include up to $150,000 for fencing in some configurations.
Board members debated tradeoffs, including whether closing vehicular or pedestrian crossings would meaningfully reduce train sounds while potentially creating pedestrian-safety issues for children who might cross tracks unsafely. The Chair also described a proposed joint agreement with the county engineer (Nathan Schwartz) to transfer jurisdiction of a portion of Shabbona Road to the county in exchange for repaving, storm‑sewer, and sewer work; Nathan Schwartz is scheduled to brief the board at the Feb. 19 meeting.
