CALDWELL, Idaho (CBS2) — The City of Caldwell has received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to implement a proposed railroad quiet zone, addressing community concerns and misinformation about the safety of such zones.
The quiet zone initiative, which has been in the works since at least 2014, underwent an extensive review process involving multiple agencies, including the Union Pacific Railroad, Boise Valley Railroad, the State Public Utilities Commission, and the Idaho Transportation Department, and all regulations and comments have been addressed.
Railroad quiet zones are not uncommon in the United States, with over 1,000 zones covering more than 5,500 railroad crossings nationwide. Safety studies indicate no statistically significant difference in accidents following the establishment of quiet zones. In Caldwell’s case, a 2020 study of 333 quiet zones showed a 42% decrease in accidents…