Full Speed Ahead! Citing broad benefits from High Speed Rail, the DLA makes recommendations to B.E.D. Committee

Readers of the DLA blog may be questioning what all the noise is about, when it comes to downtown trains. Clearly, this has been a useful forum for discussion among downtown residents.  But the DLA’s interest goes far beyond early morning train whistles.  

 

On October 13th, the DLA presented recommendations on the subject of the high speed train and Quiet Zone to the city’s Budget & Economic Development Committee.  The recommendations addressed the short term issue of downtown residents’ concern regarding noise from train horns [to view our previous post click here], but also included a much broader range of issues associated with the High Speed Rail Initiative and the related implications of a Quiet Zone.

 

At the meeting, the Committee agreed with the DLA’s recommendation to pilot a project that would test the sound impact of localizing the train horn at the crossings, rather than have the trains operators blow the horn along the entire the downtown corridor.   Since studies indicate a minimal cost per crossing, this change offers a viable short-term solution ahead of the High Speed Rail Initiative.  Once high speed rail become a reality, the associated federal guidelines will eliminate the noise from train horns and the more important impact of vibration.

 

In the larger context, the DLA is continuing its efforts to encourage the city to set policies and guidelines maximizing benefits of High Speed Rail to the city and region.  In addition to an in-depth study analyzing the various successful high speed projects from around the country, the DLA provided the B.E.D. Committee with expert opinion on urban design guidelines within the context of the city and the downtown area. Efforts in this regard parallel and enforce the recommendations of the City’s 2030 Plan that was recently adopted in late September.  

 

 

The study concludes that the benefits of high speed rail to the city and region are numerous.  For example, it will help curb building and enlarging highways to meet the population growth, as well as reducing congestion and instigating a green and multiple approach to transportation within and outside the city. The downtown benefits include an increase in buildable space through a reduction in the requirements for parking, and the consolidation of unused land along the rail corridors.