Hiawatha ‘quiet zone’ for trains first in area to come

Trains will not need to sound their horns as often while crossing four intersections in Hiawatha now that the city has unveiled the first “quiet zones” in the area, with several more being planned farther south in Cedar Rapids.

The Hiawatha quiet zones, which started Sept. 22, are along the Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad — operated by the Canadian National Railroad — at Blairs Ferry Road, Emmons Street, Center Point Road and the Cedar Valley Nature Trail.

The Hiawatha quiet zones and the anticipated Cedar Rapids downtown quiet zones are “completely different animals,” according to Hiawatha Mayor Bill Bennett.

“In Hiawatha, we’ve got a little distance between the intersections and just not as many hurdles to navigate as Cedar Rapids has. … You’ve got a bicycle trail right next to the tracks. You’ve got pedestrians, and short distances between intersections,” Bennett said.

Cities can apply to the U.S. Department of Transportation for a designated quiet zone after working with railroad companies to add safety precautions at crossings so people know not to enter the tracks as a train is coming even if they don’t hear a horn. In a quiet zone, train operators still are required to use horns when they start and stop, during power outages, during emergencies or for a perceived safety risk. But the use of horns is reduced by up to 40 percent, The Gazette reported in 2017.

“I actually think, in the long run, it will be safer (for pedestrians and bicyclists) than the sounding of the horn, because a lot of people are wearing air pods, a lot of people are doing other things that might distract them. With these things, the arms are down and the thing is lit up. You’ve got pretty much no choice about stopping,” Bennett said.

In Hiawatha, crossing arms and additional signage has been added at the crossings.

Hiawatha started working on the quiet zones in 2018. Bennett said the city plans to eventually extend the area to cover the Boyson Road and Robins Road intersections, but work on that project has not yet begun.

Cedar Rapids has been working on creating downtown quiet zones since 2017, but the project was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, the first quiet zone — from Stickle Drive NE (northeast of the Alliant Energy PowerHouse) to Fifth Avenue SE — was meant to be completed by summer 2022, but now the estimated date of completion is 2024.

Exactly when the project will be completed is dependent on scheduling with the railroad to add new gates and signals at some crossings, and could change based on weather, according to the city project engineer Jesse Howe.

The city has completed safety upgrades — including installing flashing lights and gates — at the downtown railroad intersections at Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth avenues SE, and has approved an agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad to make similar upgrades at First Avenue E, according to a memo to the Cedar Rapids City Council from City Manager Jeff Pomeranz. The city also is working with Canadian National to create an agreement for the crossing at C Avenue and Fourth Street NE, near Cargill.

After those three pending intersections are completed, the first downtown quiet zone can be established, the memo states. Additional phases will create quiet zones in other parts of downtown and the New Bohemia area, and are scheduled to be completed by 2026.

People working and living downtown are excited for the change, as the train horns can be a regular disruption to work and sleep.

“We look forward to the reduction in train noise anticipated with the implementation of quiet zones,” said Dara Schmidt, director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library. “The noise does not disrupt our daily work, but we do understand it can be disruptive at times to those utilizing the library for events and for quiet reading time.”

Tim Hankewich lives in the Water Tower Place Condominium at 900 Second St. SE, right next railroads tracks in the NewBo area. He lives on the side of the building facing away from the tracks, and he said that he isn’t usually too bothered by the horns — but he knows it is a nuisance to those on the other side of the building.

“From my perspective, it’s actually kind of romantic hearing the train horns from a distance. But I do know that my neighbors on the other side of the building get shaken out of their beds twice a night,” Hankewich said. “So I very much look forward to a quiet train zone downtown.”

Hankewich is the music director of Orchestra Iowa, and said the orchestra puts up most of its guests at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Cedar Rapids, 350 First Ave. NE. The railroad runs next to the hotel, and Hankewich said that the orchestra has had to find different accommodations for guests on multiple occasions because the train sounds are disruptive.

Below are the phases of the Cedar Rapids quiet zones project, including the estimated costs and completion dates:

So far, the city has spent about $556,000 on the project, according to Howe. The cost is being born partially by the city and partially by the railroad companies.

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com