FasTracks Quiet Zones in Thornton
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About Quiet Zones
2005 Federal Law requires all trains to sound their horn prior to crossing a highway-railroad crossing. The law additionally requires the sound levels of the train horn to be from 96 to 110 decibels. And the horn must be sounded for 15 - 20 seconds.
Through the use of "supplemental safety measures" including various railway gate strategies, some of the above requirements can be bypassed. The areas where these safety measures are employed are referred to as "Quiet Zones." In the case of the North Metro Corridor, the entire distance from Union Station to 162nd Avenue would be a Quiet Zone.
There is a process for establishing a Quiet Zone, and all local governments involved in the North Metro Corridor will have to work together to apply for and receive approval for Quiet Zone designation.
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