A conversation that started in 2002 is still going on, and the residents of Carroll are just as polarized on the topic of a train horn quiet zone as they were back then. After 2.5 hours of discussing an updated report presented by Bolton and Menk, Inc. at the Carroll City Council meeting on Monday night, residents in attendance were able to voice their opinions. The first, Bruce Baumeister, was against.
Councilman, Clay Haley, summed up the situation after hearing this first statement.
To his point, the other end of the spectrum was presented as well by Steve Kraus.
He goes on to say that this is a problem, and the argument that it has been this way forever is not valid in his eyes.
Haley says again, there lies the examples of polarization as both men made valid points. The report presented a variety of options for the seven crossings in the community. This included a lengthy discussion on whether or not Burgess Avenue, on the western edge of Carroll, should be included. The issue was not so much with the eastbound trains, but those heading west who would activate their horn a quarter of a mile from the intersection, which would still impact Carroll residences in that zone. Discussions on options included wayside horns at the crossings directed at traffic at a cost of around $125,000 per intersection with annual expenses around $4,000, to medians and channelization that could cost upward of $10,000 and impede truck traffic, to one way streets with gates, crossing closures and four quadrant gates with an estimated price tag of $1 million per crossing, which may or may not include engineering fees above and beyond a Union Pacific $40,000 fee for quiet zone assessment and up to $60,000 per year in maintenance agreements. In the end, the council seemed to agree that medians/channelization would be difficult to implement as it impedes traffic flow and could block access eliminate parking for businesses in some areas. City Manager, Mike Pogge-Weaver, summed up what the council was requesting from Bolton and Menk project managers Greg Boussard and Jim Leiding with feedback from councilman LaVern Dirkx and resident, Andy Ramaekers.
In the end, according to Mayor, Eric Jensen, the decisions will need to be driven by the budget. The full audio of this discussion and the report that was presented Monday night is included below.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Audio is being uploaded and will appear here when the process is complete. Carroll Broadcasting is also working to identify the citizens who spoke out at Monday’s meeting. Anyone with information can contact the news director at: chantelle@carrollbroadcasting.com. Thank you.
Full audio from the presentation and discussion:
Link to Mitigation Presentation:
Union-Pacific-Railroad-Quiet-Zone-Investigation-Update-2021
