Overview

Downtown San Diego, like many urban environments, has had a substantial increase in people living adjacent to railroad tracks and crossings. Noise and safety at downtown's rail crossings have become major concerns for residents and for CCDC. The Federal Government, through the FRA, has finalized legislation to limit the noise from train horns in residential areas. CCDC is moving forward with an application to the Federal Railroad Administration to designate downtown a Quiet Zone at downtown San Diego's 13 grade crossings (Park Boulevard to Laurel Street). In order to establish a Quiet Zone, the railroad crossings are improved with safety enhancements such as additional gates, medians, traffic signals and warning lights. The Park Boulevard improvements will be constructed as a separate project and will include similar safety enhancements to meet the Quiet Zone designation.

The $20.6 million estimated project cost will be funded by Redevelopment Agency tax-increment financing.

The Quiet Zone was approved to go to bid by the San Diego City Council in September 2008. As one of the longest and most complex Quiet Zones to be planned within a shared rail corridor, many organizations are involved in the design, construction, functionality and long-term maintenance including: Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF), Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), AMTRAK, San Diego Imperial Valley Railway, North County Transit District, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).