North Crestwood residents look to reduce train noise, create area ‘quiet zone’

Many North Crestwood residents are sick of the noise made by the 60 freight trains that rumble through their neighborhood each day.

The noise has worsened in recent years due to an increase in freight traffic and federal safety rules that require train operators to sound four-blast signals at each at-grade crossing.

And there are three crossings in less than 1,000 feet between 56th and 59th streets South.

“Train noise is a serious problem that affects the community’s quality of life,” according to a report from the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham.

But that report presents four options to make the each crossing safe enough to become a “quiet zone” with limited use of horns, according to North Crestwood neighborhood president Darrell O’Quinn.

“The options are basically to close some or all of the crossings or reconfigure the remaining crossings with gates, curbing and supplemental safety measures,” O’Quinn said. “The crossings that remain open would have to be upgraded so that they would actually be safer without train horns than they are currently.”

The change could have a positive economic impact on Crestwood.  O’Quinn said there’s “sufficient data … demonstrating that train horn noise depreciates property values.” 

The noise also negatively affects Woodlawn businesses, especially those with outdoor activities, he said.

It could cost the city several hundred thousand dollars to change the crossings — depending on the plan chosen — but O’Quinn said he believes city officials are aware of the issue and they are trying to find the money, perhaps through a U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

The city applied for the funding before but did not receive it, the RPC report said.

The next step for residents — after further coordination — is to make a presentation to the City Council and request the mayor file a letter of intent with the Federal Rail Administration, according to O’Quinn.