Since public safety is still a concern, train horns can still be sounded in an emergency.
Business owners are excited about the change. They believe they will be able to bring in more guests to experience the downtown Springfield charm because of the quiet zone.
Becky Krieger, General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott, said, “We’ve already begun to receive positive feedback from the change. We could not be happier. Our guests can now sleep soundly.”
On Friday morning, local, state and railroad officials officially dedicated the quiet zone at the Limestone Avenue crossing in downtown Springfield.
The project goes back to 2004 when a task force of city and community leaders began discussing the issue of grade crossing safety through the downtown area, which had numerous crossings over a relatively short stretch of railroad corridor.
Increasing railroads traffic and projections of more added to the urgency of the effort to increase safety, but also to improve the quality of life by reducing noise pollution as trains rolled through the city. The quiet zone was achieved by working with a combination of changes to the rail corridor such as selected closings of redundant grade crossings and either four-quad light and gates or wayside horns at the remaining crossings.
Executive Director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission, Matt Dietrich, said, “We know of several more Ohio communities interested in establishing safer and quieter rail corridors.”