Long Beach may take steps to crack down on noise from train horns

Long Beach leaders will talk next week about cracking down on noise from train horns that blast residents and businesses in parts of North and West Long Beach.

Trains that run on Union Pacific tracks are required to blow their horns for up to 20 seconds before approaching any public at-grade railroad crossing. Residents near the line’s crossings at Market Street/Candlewood Street in North Long Beach and on N. Wardlow Road in West Long Beach have complained for years about the volume and frequency of these horns, which are intended to warn motorists and pedestrians of a train’s arrival.

Federal regulations, however, allow for areas designated as “quiet zones” where engineers do not sound horns — as long as cities or residents pay for certain safety alternatives.

The City Council on Tuesday will begin talking about the process for establishing such a quiet zone that would encompass these two crossings, and whether it would be economically feasible.

The city would first need to assemble a diagnostic team to assess the safety history and needs at each crossing and what risks would need to be mitigated. It would then issue a “notice of intent” to the state and railroad companies that use the Union Pacific line.

The city would likely only seek a “partial quiet zone” during the hours of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. They would still need to meet requirements by at least four regulatory agencies at the state and federal levels.

In California, 63 cities and jurisdictions have established quiet zones that encompass at least a half-mile, including Pomona, Orange, Anaheim, Tustin, Industry and many others, according to 2022 data from the Federal Railroad Administration.

Federal rules

Under the Railroad Administration’s Train Horn Rule, locomotive engineers must begin to sound their horns at least 15 seconds before arriving at a public traffic crossing. If the train is traveling more than 60 mph, engineers must sound the horn within a quarter-mile of the crossing and while at the crossing.

Horns must be sounded in a standardized pattern of blasts, including two long, one short, then one long.

The minimum volume of these blasts is 96 decibels and the maximum is 110 decibels, which is comparable to the volume of a live music concert or a snowmobile.

Alternative safety measures

In order to win approval for a quiet zone, each crossing would have to, at minimum, have fully upgraded flashing lights and gates.

The city could also be required to install new signage and analyze whether the change could impact any private crossings.

If existing measures are already in place, the city could qualify for automatic approval of a quiet zone.

The process would also involve looking at historical data on incidents at each of the crossings.

Data shows that train accidents across the United States are fairly rare. Between 2007 and 2022, 274 people have been killed at railroad crossings and nearly 900 have been injured, most of them in a car, according to data from the National Safety Council.

By comparison, more than 42,000 people across the country were killed in car collisions in 2022 alone, including 4,428 deaths in California.

Union Pacific MOU

A second item before the City Council on Tuesday would also establish an MOU, or Memorandum of Understanding, with Union Pacific that would enable the two entities to work together on issues like graffiti and trash removal and safety concerns that have been raised by local residents.

Long Beach is now limited in what it can do on Union Pacific rights-of-way because the city has no jurisdiction, leading at times to frustration and finger-pointing.

If approved, the agreement would allow the city and Union Pacific to hold regular meetings, share funding and resources for joint cleanups and establish safety protocols for police agencies.

Both of the items were pitched by the council representatives in North Long Beach and West Long Beach, Al Austin and Roberto Uranga, respectively.

The City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Civic Chambers, 411 W. Ocean Blvd. The full agenda can be found here.