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February 19, 2006
Train horn louder than in past
A recent letter writer calls complaints about train horns laughable because the railroad was here before much of current Flagstaff. Residents should have known better than to put themselves near the tracks if the horns bother them, the writer says. But the intrusiveness and frequency of the train horns is not always obvious to a new resident.
Train horns and whistles may have always been a fact of Flagstaff life, but modern horns are louder than ever, and trains roll through Flagstaff much more frequently than they ever did in Flagstaff's early days.
Flagstaff and the railroad have together spent millions on overpasses and underpasses and the realignment of the tracks to make Flagstaff safer and less congested. It would cost a tiny fraction of this amount to install narrowly focused acoustic warning systems and improved gates at cross streets. Such technology could eliminate the need for the blasting of train horns.
I question the need for horns even now, with our existing warning system. We have lights, bells and gates at every crossing, plus the rumble of the approaching train. We do not expect cars to blow their horns continuously as they pass through every intersection, so why do we expect trains to do so?
Train horns create their own problems. Train horns cause hearing loss. They can startle people and cause accidents. They can disrupt sleep and sleep-deprived individuals are more likely to be injured on the job or while driving. The abolition of train horns is long overdue.
By Dan Frazier
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2006/02/19/news/opinion/20060219_letters_119.txt
Posted by 4HL on February 19, 2006 1:26 PM
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