The City of Hamilton, Ohio, sits at the confluence of multiple rail lines operated by Norfolk Southern and CSX, creating significant train horn noise at public highway-rail grade crossings throughout the city. To evaluate the feasibility of reducing noise through designated quiet zones, the City retained SRF to conduct a comprehensive Quiet Zone Assessment covering 30 public crossings.
SRF coordinated with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and railroad representatives to conduct a two-day diagnostic meeting evaluating all 30 crossings. The crossings were grouped into four potential quiet zones, each containing between two and 11 crossings.
For each proposed zone, SRF:
- Developed multiple crossing improvement scenarios to support quiet zone implementation
- Explored phased implementation options, allowing the City to establish quiet zones in select areas first, with the potential to expand to adjacent crossings later
- Provided cost-benefit insights to help prioritize future investments based on safety, feasibility, and community impact
The assessment gave the City a practical roadmap for reducing rail noise while improving corridor safety and flexibility in implementation.
Resource Links
Federal Railroad Administration – Quiet Zones
Hamilton seeks ‘quiet zones’ for rail crossings – Journal News
City of Hamilton, OH
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Community & Transportation Planning