This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Have the Federal Railroad Administration stop dictating trains to blow whistles at crossings with gates and/or lights.

Created by J.C. on February 12, 2016

I am against the FRA dictating that trains blow their whistles at all crossings, even those already with gates and flashing lights. I live near 3 crossings and each train blows 4 times per crossing. I measured the sound level at 80 dB and I live 1/2 mile away from the closest crossing. Research indicates that only a 30-40 dB sound is enough to interrupt REM sleep, and there is plenty of research to indicate that lack of REM sleep leads to many health issues including obesity, heart conditions, and lack of concentration. I believe that if the crossing has a 2 gate system or flashing warning lights, that should be enough safety measure to disallow the train from blowing its whistle. This would allow a balance for train safety and the need for public health and reduction of noise pollution.

Energy & Environment
Transportation & Infrastructure
Return to top