City begins quiet zone discussion

Brandon Cline, Managing Editor | Last updated Dec 19, 2019 1:11pm0

Journal photo by Brandon Cline count

The railroad crossing at North Jefferson Street in Ritzville. The city recently opened discussion at the Sept. 17 city council meeting as to whether or not Ritzville should be designated a quiet zone by the Federal Railroad Administration.

The Ritzville City Council opened the floor to discussion on Sept. 17 in regards to designating the city as a quiet zone for trains traveling through Ritzville.

The topic was listed on the city council meeting agenda, under the discussion agenda section, and was led mostly by councilmember Dennis Chamberlain, who supports making Ritzville a quiet zone.

Under the Federal Railroad Administration's Train Horn Rule, which went into effect in 2005, locomotive engineers must begin to sound train horns at least 15 seconds-and no more than 20 seconds-in advance of all public grade crossings. The horns...