Community feedback is welcomed

Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder
County Transportation will host a public meeting to present information and
gather community input regarding efforts to convert railroad crossings along
the SH 119/Diagonal Highway corridor into Quiet Zones, which are safety
improvements to roads that cross railroad tracks that can eliminate the
requirement for train horn use at crossings.

Wednesday, Dec. 7

6:30 to 8 p.m.

Niwot Elementary School

8778 Morton Road, Niwot

A
question and answer session will follow the presentation, and feedback from
attendees will be collected. Visit the project webpage to learn more
and to provide comments electronically.

Boulder
County received a $1.7 million grant from the Denver Regional Council of
Governments (DRCOG) to implement quiet zones along SH 119 between Longmont and
Boulder. The county hopes to use the available funding to construct as many
quiet zones along the Diagonal Highway as possible; however, the funding
available is likely not enough to address all of the unincorporated county
crossings along SH 119. The cost of a quiet zone can range significantly
depending on the specific characteristics of the road and crossing, but
commonly ranges between $250,000 and $500,000 per crossing.

Potential crossing
locations include:

• 83rd
  Street
• 2nd
  Street in Niwot
• Main
  Street in Niwot
• Monarch
  Road
• North
  55th Street
• Jay
  Road
• Independence
  Road

A
feasibility study has been completed by a consultant. This report is also
available on the project webpage.

The
City of Boulder, City of Louisville, and the City of Lafayette are all
conducting their own quiet zone studies related to railroad crossings within
their city limits. The City of Boulder will host an open house on Thursday,
Dec. 15 at the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. Visit Boulder’s quiet zone website to learn more
about the meeting and their efforts.

For
more information on the event, contact Andrew Barth, Boulder County Transportation
Department, via email at abarth@bouldercounty.org or call
303-441-1032.