Inver Grove Heights makes plans to reduce railroad noise

Inver Grove Heights' oldest neighborhood, located along the Mississippi River, was built on rail. Today, the trains are still traveling through — and residents wish they weren't quite so loud.

Now, with redevelopment planned for the area, the city is considering "quiet zones" along the Union Pacific railroad, limiting train horns in favor of other safety improvements at rail crossings.

Like other communities built around rail lines, Inver Grove has found itself at odds with the trains. Development has brought residents closer to the tracks, and economic factors have increased the number of trains that pass through every day. In cities across the metro, more trains mean more noise — and more complaints.

"It is probably the single biggest issue we've dealt with," said Joel Hanson, city administrator in Little Canada. "We had more calls on this just because people were just so irritated by the constant whistle-blowing at all hours of the day and night."

To ease the irritation, officials have implemented quiet zones at railroad crossings in recent years, limiting how often engineers can sound train horns. Minnesota has more than 60 quiet zones, according the Federal Railroad Administration.

Inver Grove Heights' quiet zones are in the early planning stages. The next step will be a quiet zone "concept analysis," followed by a feasibility report; the combined cost could exceed $100,000.

Quiet zones will either include the seven public at-grade crossings across the entire city or will be limited to the three in the historic Concord Boulevard neighborhood. The neighborhood has been targeted for new development, including residential, commercial, industrial and park uses.

"We are anticipating some new residential growth down there with the redevelopment," he said. "With the quiet zones, it'll just make it that much more attractive."

Based on conversations with other cities, Inver Grove Heights officials estimate crossing upgrades could cost between $200,000 and $300,000 each.

Train horns are used at railroad crossings as a safety precaution, and engineers must use them as trains cross public intersections. In a quiet zone, engineers don't routinely sound train horns but are allowed to use them in an emergency.

Safety upgrades — such as crossing gates, signals and medians — are often required in a quiet zone, ensuring that crossings are still safe without regular horn use.

Rosemount officials spent about $1 million implementing quiet zones at seven crossings — something they planned for more than a decade.

"It's probably one of the better things we've done in recent years for the quality of life of the community," he said.