CALDWELL, Idaho — An effort the City of Caldwell has been exploring since 2014 to establish a railroad quiet zone is drawing renewed attention and community debate as city leaders review details of the proposal.
The plan would create a quiet zone at seven railroad crossings — 5th Avenue, Kimball Avenue, 9th Avenue, 12th Avenue, 21st Avenue, Linden Street and Ustick Road — where train horns would no longer sound routinely. The Caldwell Public Works Department has budgeted roughly $400,000 for required safety upgrades.
Watch: Learn more on the proposal latest details
Deputy Public Works and Transportation Director Bruce Mills told city officials that Caldwell sees an average of about 17 trains pass through the city each day, and the proposed improvements would include raised medians, closures of some nearby driveways and additional warning signage for vehicles and pedestrians. Mills said those measures could reduce casualties at crossings by about 42%, citing a 2020 Federal Railroad Administration study of quiet zones.
Council member Chuck Stadick raised safety concerns during the meeting, noting that many residents fear eliminating train horns could increase risk. “All the emails I’ve gotten, people think it’s going to be more unsafe with these quiet zone facilities,” Stadick said. Mills responded that the safety measures included in the proposal would address those concerns.
RELATED|Caldwell City Council to hold workshop on a railroad 'quiet zone'
Mills also said that even with a quiet zone in place, train engineers would still be permitted to sound their horns if they encounter dangerous conditions. “Even if the engineers do see some sort of conflict on the tracks ahead, they can always blow their horn, even after the quiet zone is in place,” he said.
A poll on the 2C Neighborhood News Facebook page showed mixed public sentiment: about 39% of respondents said they support moving forward with a quiet zone, while about 59% opposed it.
Mills said current crossing arms and gates can be circumvented by drivers who go around them, and proposed medians would prevent that practice. “Right now, somebody could drive around the gates as they’re in place, but we’re putting up things that prevent that from happening,” he said.
The city has set aside $400,000 in its budget for the project, and a bid from a local contractor — which could save the department roughly $162,000 — is currently on hold pending further council action.
RELATED|Railroad quiet zone debate divides Caldwell residents, city leaders and experts
Caldwell officials have scheduled another special workshop session, with an opportunity for public comment, for Tuesday, Jan. 27 at City Hall.
For Canyon County happenings, news, and more— join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.