Frisco City Council to consider instituting “Quiet Zone” at Dallas Parkway railroad crossing

by Chad Jones

At its upcoming July 3 meeting, the Frisco City Council will consider the following measures:

• Consider and act upon approval of a purchase order to Life Fitness for the purchase of fitness equipment for the new Recreation Center.
• A proposed voluntary annexation of 44.3+ acres in the Collin County School Land Survey, Abstract No. 147, Collin County, Texas, generally located on the southwest corner of US 380 and CR 26.
• A proposed voluntary annexation of 10.1+ acres in the C.L. Smith Survey, Abstract No. 1681, Denton County, Texas, generally located on the south side of US 380, 600+ feet west of Fields Road.
• Consider and act on Establishing a Quiet Zone or Installing Wayside Horns at BNSF Railroad Crossings on Dallas Parkway and between Dallas Parkway and County Road 712.

In railroad jargon, instituting a "quiet zone" would make it unlawful for train conductors to blow their horns during certain times of night, usually between midnight to 6:00 a.m.

If the city approves such a zone, supplementary warning systems such as "wayside horns," will be placed at railroad crossings to ensure safety. Wayside horns differ from locomotive horns in that they are situated at actual crossings instead of on the train (and are activated as a train approaches).

Also, wayside horns are directional and quieter than locomotive horns. Why is that? The Doppler Effect, bitch.