After decades of loud-blaring horns and roughly 14 years of planning, trains passing through downtown Kent have mostly gone quiet.As of this week, a new Quiet
After decades of loud-blaring horns and roughly 14 years of planning, trains passing through downtown Kent have mostly gone quiet — or at least they're expected to.
As of this week, a new Quiet Zone is in effect along the BNSF Railway mainline, and train engineers are no longer required to sound their horns at the following eight public crossings.
- S 212th Street
- James Street
- Smith Street
- Meeker Street
- Gowe Street
- Titus Street
- Willis Street (State Route 516)
- S 259th Street
The City of Kent received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration earlier this summer after investing $3.5 million in the years-long project.
"This is a game changer for downtown," Kent Mayor Dana Ralph said Thursday. "It is a game changer for our residents, for our businesses."
Several trains were still heard blaring their horns while passing through downtown, as of publication Thursday. Ralph said it will likely take some time before all train engineers are educated on the change in horn requirements.
"We haven't noticed a change yet," said Lloyd Twilligear, who lives merely yards away from a crossing.
Twilligear has lived near the tracks for about five years and said he has started getting used to the constant noise. Still, the sound of horns rippling through his home at all hours of the day, even past 3 a.m., is a nuisance, he said.
"He [train engineer] sounds like he starts in Sumner and comes all the way here," Twilligear said. "Just going... waaah! Just don't stop!"
As part of the project, the city has completed major safety upgrades along the railway corridor, including a fence that runs the length of the tracks and raised barriers in the streets.
Drivers will still see flashing lights as crossing arms lower at public crossings and hear the chime made before a train passes through.
"We have made significant improvements to make sure that these crossings are safer than they were," Ralph explained. "The horn is the very last piece of this."
Train engineers are still able to sound their horns if someone or something is on the tracks or when they find it necessary in any other safety emergencies.
Previously, trains blared loud horns roughly 50 to 60 times a day throughout downtown Kent, including in the middle of the night, city officials said.
"It is pretty loud," said Kim Perkins, a frequent user of public transit. "You have to cover your ears. I do!"
Drivers and pedestrians will still see trains as frequently as before, but they hopefully won't hear the typical, loud warning sounds.
The Quiet Zone officially went into effect on Aug. 26.
