Trains traveling through downtown San Diego will again stop sounding their horns when approaching railroad crossings, now that the Federal Railroad Administration has reinstated the area’s designated train “quiet zone.”
The city’s quiet zones were temporarily suspended two weeks ago after an inspection found safety violations that needed to be fixed.
Trains have since been blaring their horns between the Laurel Street and Fifth Avenue crossings as city crews worked to bring 12 intersections into compliance with federal standards.
Mayor Todd Gloria said Tuesday in a statement that the city’s Transportation Department had expedited all of the required sign installations and striping to get the quiet zone restored more quickly than anticipated.
City crews created and installed more than 120 railroad crossing signs and new road markings at downtown crossings.
On Friday, the city submitted documentation to show the improvements had been completed, along with a required traffic survey to count how many vehicles enter the crossings daily.