A Riverside neighborhood is less noisy now that automated train horns are no longer sounding when the tracks are in use, thanks to a $1.2 million infrastructure improvement project, officials said Wednesday.
The “Quiet Zone Project” on Panorama Road, adjacent to the westbound Riverside (91) Freeway, was completed by the start of winter, involving a number of modifications, according to the Riverside Department of Public Works.
Topping the list of changes was removal of the automated train horns situated at the Panorama crossing for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks paralleling the freeway.
Officials said the blaring horns went off at all hours of the day and night, whenever freight or commuter trains passed through, leaving residents on edge and unable to rest.
“While the horns will no longer be routinely sounded … a train’s engineer may sound the horn if conditions warrant,” according to a city statement. “For example, the horn could be sounded if pedestrians or animals are near the tracks at any point, or if there is ongoing construction work.”
In addition to restoration of nighttime peace, the project led to the installation of upgraded railroad signals and new concrete sidewalks at the pedestrian crossing, officials said.
The bicycle crossing was also widened, featuring “new emergency swing exit gates and detectable warning tactile strips,” the city stated.
The project was funded using local Measure A sales tax revenue.