City Council Tuesday night will consider approving the purchase of a small parcel of land in Longmont to allow a $4 million quiet zone program to move forward.
Councilors will consider the $5,900 purchase at their regular 7 p.m. meeting.
The property is a 234-square-foot parcel of a larger property located at 841 Baker Street. The property is at the southeast corner of Ninth Avenue and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe — or BNSF — crossing.
The parcel is among several in Longmont where quiet zone improvements are slated to be constructed, according to a city of Longmont staff report.
Quiet zones are set up by cities — with the cooperation of railroads — to stop trains from sounding their horns when they enter certain railroad crossings in urban areas. Quiet zones can be established if certain safety requirements are met .
“While the improvements are costly, the benefit includes elimination of the horn noise, particularly in residential areas,” according to a city of Longmont staff report to the city council.
The city in June 2020 was awarded a grant award of up to $4 million to implement quiet zones in Longmont. The grant will provide funding for quiet zones at 14 railroad crossings in Longmont, the staff report states.
