Panel to hear options to silence train horns in downtown Modesto

A City Council committee will hear options Wednesday for how Modesto could silence the blaring of train horns downtown.

The council’s Healthy Economy Committee is expected to accept a consultant’s final report on the potential of establishing what is called a quiet zone along the Union Pacific Railroad right of way through downtown and forward the report to the council for approval.

The Texas-based consulting firm CTC came up with three options for a quiet zone from the railroad crossing at G Street to the crossing at Woodland Avenue, a distance of about 2.1 miles. The options are expensive, ranging from $2.5 million to $2.7 million to $3.9 million, and Modesto would have to come up with a funding source for the project.

The city hired CTC at a cost of $34,500, which breaks down to $18,000 for planning and $16,500 for implementation.

Quiet zones require upgrading the safety features at railroad crossings to eliminate or greatly reduce the need for a train to sound its horn as it approaches. But a train could still sound its horn in emergencies, such as when someone is on the railroad tracks.

The committee also is expected to:

▪  Hear from the staff about the city’s progress in amending Modesto’s general plan, which serves as a blueprint for how the city grows and develops. The amendment is expected to come to the council in mid-2017 for final adoption.

▪  Hear from the city’s staff about potential mechanisms to pay for improvements. The newest tool is the Community Revitalization Investment, which is a pared-down version of redevelopment agencies, which the state eliminated in 2011.

▪  Consider angled on-street parking along the west side of Eighth Street between H and I streets. A city report says Crescent Work & Outdoor asked Modesto for the change, which will add seven more parking spaces. The city’s staff is asking the committee to endorse the change and forward it to the council for final approval.

The committee will meet at 2 p.m. in room 2008 on the second floor of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.

This story was originally published June 7, 2016 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Panel to hear options to silence train horns in downtown Modesto."