"Quiet Zone" in Lansing, Illinois

Good points John, does the CN(formerGTW) have the most grade crossings in Lansing, this leaves motorist's, people on bikes or people walking to judge the trains distance and speed from the grade crossing by the locomotive flashing ditch lights or headlight the train can be right on top of them before they know it, no margin for error. 

Did they not install protective measures in recent months?

Actually they need to change the terminology  from "Quiet Zone" to "Killing Zone".  It was rather ironic that one of the local mayors who was instrumental in putting is town in the Quiet Zone category got hit and killed by a train that he hadn't noticed. 

Edit: I need to clarify this post, the gentleman in question was not in a vehicle. He was walking, they never said but I would be almost willing to bet he had some sort of electronic device with earbuds inserted.

rattler21 posted:

I just received an Internet message announcing that as of Monday, March 11 Lansing, Illinois will be a Quiet Zone which will no longer require railroad engineers to sound their horns at the seven grade crossing within our municipal boundaries.  I sent a message to the city fathers saying I thought this was stupid and it will probably remain in effect until there are a few fatalities and the 'Quiet Zone' ordinance will be rescinded.  One supporter of this may have been the ex-airport manager who 'can't stand trains'.  Of course during his tenure as airport manager he never learned to fly but that shouldn't be mentioned.  Years ago, members of the current mayor's immediate family were killed at a grade crossing.  I have no idea why she didn't put the brakes on this.  John in Lansing, ILL

John,

Tinley Park has the same rule, and every year two or more people are killed. The only town in the state that has more fatal collisions I believe is Rockford. So once the quiet zone is in, it's not leaving unless the FRA bans quiet zones.

Good for them.  You don't have to "Hate Trains" to know that some MADE UP number of 4 honks per crossing no matter what time of the day or night is Ridiculous.

Amtrak has bumped up their horn blowing to 6 times

I say just let the horn blow the Whole time as if it is stuck

There's one in a town near me, Montclair NJ with many NJTransit trains and its a quite zone. All of the grade crossing had the gates changed and a divider/median run quite a distance up the middle of the road approaching the crossing. Would make it almost impossible to cross when the gates were down.

Perhaps this in what is needed on the LIRR where there have been several horrific accidents recently with people going around the gates

After the next RR crossing fatality someone with "standing" (as defined by the courts) should sue the Lansing City Council for "endangerment." With damages set at $1 million per person killed, the case would attract media attention and (hopefully) discourage future risk-taking by local politicos who favor "quiet" instead of safety.

In Conway, AR, a carload of teenage girls leaving a party (with the car radio blaring) didn't hear the horn blasts of an UP freight train approaching the street crossing marked with lighted crossbucks but not gates. All five girls were killed. The City Council sought (and received) a federal/state grant to build a four-lane bridge over the tracks at a cost of more than $2 million.  Years later, a "shovel ready" RR overpass project in town grabbed federal funds and built another one for safety's sake. However, there are several RR crossings through the downtown area -- some of which are unlighted crossbucks -- an invitation to future trouble. 

Local real estate developers can place new subdivisions near RR tracks without sound buffers; then those residents complain to the City Council about the RR noise and press for a "Quiet Zone." The proper response is, "You knew the RR tracks were there before you moved in."

Mike M.

While I do not support this ordinance, it doesn't matter what the RR or town does:  people will still get themselves killed at grade crossings.  Witness the one in Canada a couple weeks ago:  horns blaring, lights flashing, bells ringing, gates down, and STILL the driver drove around the gates and got himself and two others killed.

EVERY grade crossing accident is the responsibility of the driver of the automobile,.  Period.  Full Stop.

I seldom hear horns on the BNSF Chicago-Aurora triple track unless one train is passing another's locomotive or rear car at or near a grade crossing.

An unfortunate incident from the past, long before quiet zones:

As I recall, parts of the woman knocked over the photographer's camera

Rusty

palallin posted:

While I do not support this ordinance, it doesn't matter what the RR or town does:  people will still get themselves killed at grade crossings.  Witness the one in Canada a couple weeks ago:  horns blaring, lights flashing, bells ringing, gates down, and STILL the driver drove around the gates and got himself and two others killed.

EVERY grade crossing accident is the responsibility of the driver of the automobile,.  Period.  Full Stop.

Well most of the time...

https://www.chicagotribune.com...-20100419-story.html

palallin posted:

While I do not support this ordinance, it doesn't matter what the RR or town does:  people will still get themselves killed at grade crossings.  Witness the one in Canada a couple weeks ago:  horns blaring, lights flashing, bells ringing, gates down, and STILL the driver drove around the gates and got himself and two others killed.

EVERY grade crossing accident is the responsibility of the driver of the automobile,.  Period.  Full Stop.

I have to wholeheartedly agree with this.  It's personal responsibility at it's core.  I have always said through my years dealing in industrial and construction settings that you can put a safety minded person and an extremely unsafe environment and they will be fine.  The opposite cannot be said.

Always be aware of your surrounding and always have a plan of escape.

BobbyD posted:

palallin posted:

EVERY grade crossing accident is the responsibility of the driver of the automobile,.  Period.  Full Stop.

Well most of the time...

https://www.chicagotribune.com...-20100419-story.html

I get what you're saying, but I have to disagree.  It doesn't matter if there is a gate, a light, a bell:  drivers/pedestrians need to be aware of the train.  Anyone who assumes that a train is not there because the lights aren't flashing and the gates aren't down is still at fault for making the assumption.  These mechanisms can fail for several reasons.  We should always look to verify.

To quote TEXASSP's wisdom:  " It's personal responsibility at it's core."

palallin posted:

BobbyD posted:

palallin posted:

EVERY grade crossing accident is the responsibility of the driver of the automobile,.  Period.  Full Stop.

Well most of the time...

https://www.chicagotribune.com...-20100419-story.html

I get what you're saying, but I have to disagree.  It doesn't matter if there is a gate, a light, a bell:  drivers/pedestrians need to be aware of the train.  Anyone who assumes that a train is not there because the lights aren't flashing and the gates aren't down is still at fault for making the assumption.  These mechanisms can fail for several reasons.  We should always look to verify.

To quote TEXASSP's wisdom:  " It's personal responsibility at it's core."

Nothing prevents the Engineer from using the horn, in unusual/emergency conditions, i.e. if the lights & gates fail. Even when idiots drive around the gates & flashing lights, the Engineer still blows the horn, "Quiet Zone" or not!

SPSF posted:

 I say just let the horn blow the Whole time as if it is stuck

And I say, what a stupid remark!
Let's put you up in that loco cab and tie your ignorant butt down and make you listen to a wailing horn for twelve hours! 

palallin posted:

BobbyD posted:

palallin posted:

EVERY grade crossing accident is the responsibility of the driver of the automobile,.  Period.  Full Stop.

Well most of the time...

https://www.chicagotribune.com...-20100419-story.html

I get what you're saying, but I have to disagree.  It doesn't matter if there is a gate, a light, a bell:  drivers/pedestrians need to be aware of the train.  Anyone who assumes that a train is not there because the lights aren't flashing and the gates aren't down is still at fault for making the assumption.  These mechanisms can fail for several reasons.  We should always look to verify.

To quote TEXASSP's wisdom:  " It's personal responsibility at it's core."

If everyone stopped at a crossing with the gates up or a green traffic light no one would get anywhere.

BobbyD posted:

palallin posted:

BobbyD posted:

palallin posted:

EVERY grade crossing accident is the responsibility of the driver of the automobile,.  Period.  Full Stop.

Well most of the time...

https://www.chicagotribune.com...-20100419-story.html

I get what you're saying, but I have to disagree.  It doesn't matter if there is a gate, a light, a bell:  drivers/pedestrians need to be aware of the train.  Anyone who assumes that a train is not there because the lights aren't flashing and the gates aren't down is still at fault for making the assumption.  These mechanisms can fail for several reasons.  We should always look to verify.

To quote TEXASSP's wisdom:  " It's personal responsibility at it's core."

If everyone stopped at a crossing with the gates up or a green traffic light no one would get anywhere.

It's obvious that's not what's being said.