May 13 2010
HOYT, the largest developer of Portland’s Pearl District, announced that the construction phase for the neighborhood’s highly anticipated railway “quiet zone” has begun.
The construction phase marks an important milestone for a project that HOYT, along with the Portland Development Commission (PDC) and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), began pursuing with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in early 2008. The project is also supported by the Pearl District Neighborhood Association and the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association.
The North Pearl quiet zone includes the vicinity of the main line railroad crossings along N.W. Naito Parkway at N.W. 9th, 15th and 17th Avenues. Currently, locomotive operators are required to sound their horns as they approach all roadway-railroad grade crossings within the vicinity of Union Station. Under new quiet zone restrictions defined by the FRA in 2005, the use of locomotive horns will be prohibited, except in the case where the operator perceives a potentially hazardous situation.
Safety improvements at each of the three rail crossings primarily consist of non-traversable medians that will prevent motorists from circumventing the gates when trains approach. Each crossing will retain the existing gates, flashing signals and bells that activate when trains approach.
“As the neighborhood has changed from largely industrial to residential and commercial, the noise from passing trains throughout the night and early morning has become more and more of an issue for the people who live and work in the Pearl District,” said Tiffany Sweitzer, HOYT president and partner. “With construction under way, we’re that much closer to a solution that will keep the rail crossings safe while enhancing enjoyment of the overall area — from existing development to developing properties such as The Fields Park, Pearl Family Housing, and Centennial Mills, to the waterfront and developing properties to the west.”
Total costs for the project are expected to be less than $400,000, with funding provided equally by PDC and HOYT through a cost-sharing agreement. The project is being managed by PBOT and construction completed by the Portland Bureau of Maintenance.
“This has been a great partnership between the public and private sectors that will significantly improve the quality of life for people who live, work, and play in the Pearl District,” said Eric Jacobson, PDC project manager.
Construction on the three crossings is expected to be completed by June 2010. Once construction is complete, the crossings will be inspected by the Oregon Department of Transportation Rail Division. After approval from ODOT Rail, the national database will be updated to notify rail operators about the implementation of a new quiet zone. HOYT and its project partners anticipate the quiet zone to be in effect by mid-July, pending delays.
Source: http://www.hoytliving.com/