CALDWELL, Idaho — "The gates still come down, the light still flashes and go ting ting ting," said Deputy Public Works Director Bruce Mills.
Caldwell is revisiting plans for a railroad quiet zone after shelving the idea 11 years ago due to high costs.
"Initial cost where gonna be like I've heard, up to 4 million dollars, everybody said ooooohhh that's a lot of money we don't necessarily want to do that right now," said Mills.
Watch to learn what safety measures and costs the quiet zone may bring to the city:
Mills began researching alternatives, consulting with the Federal Railroad Administration and Union Pacific to find more cost-effective solutions.
"There are cheaper ways to mitigate this, quite cheaper," said Mills.
The city now plans to implement quiet zones at seven railroad crossings, stopping Pacific Union from honking its horn when passing through a railroad crossing. The change requires specific safety modifications.
"So we are looking at around $340,000 to put this quiet zone in place at all 7 locations," said Mills.
The crossings include 5th Avenue, Kimball Avenue, 9th Avenue, 12th Avenue, 21st Avenue, Linden Street, and Ustick Road. Each location will receive safety upgrades to protect drivers.
"To prevent people from driving around the gates, we are going to put in raised median curbs so that people that are lined up waiting for the train don't go around those gates," said Mills.
Caldwell is also negotiating with Canyon County to share construction costs for two crossings near county buildings, potentially splitting the estimated $60,000 expense.
The City of Caldwell approached Canyon County to explore a potential collaboration on their proposed railroad quiet zone. The city's proposed quiet zone includes seven crossings—four located downtown and three extending out to Ustick. The two crossings the City would like to partner with the County on are at the 9th and 12th Streets crossings, near the Canyon County Courthouse. The City has requested that the County contribute $30,000 towards our portion of the project. Currently, the County is in the process of developing the Fiscal Year 2026 budget and is considering including the City’s request in the budget
"I've stayed at a friend's house that has a train pass by and I woke up like 5 times in the night," said Alli Bravo.
Local residents and business owners have mixed reactions to the proposed quiet zone.
"As long as the safety of the community is being protected, I think it's an excellent Idea," said Bravo.
"Well, it would be nice, however, its been its been 10+ years the city has been asking Union Pacific for this," said George Decker.
The Public Works Department has allocated $400,000 for the project in the 2026 fiscal year budget, though city council approval is still pending.
"So my best guess is that we will have this quiet zone in place by the spring or summer of 2026," said Mills.
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