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2.0 BACKGROUND <br />The Minnesota Commercial Railway (MNNR) operates two rail lines through the City <br />of Roseville. There is a north -south line which operates 2 to 4 trains per day at <br />speeds of 10 miles per hour. They also operate a daily round trip train on an east - <br />west line at speeds of 10 mile per hour. <br />The north -south line has 4 public crossings; the east -west line has 10 public <br />crossings. There are 3 other public crossings on industry spur lines. There are 4 <br />different roadway authorities having jurisdiction over these crossings (Ramsey <br />County, MnDOT, City of New Brighton, and City of Roseville). <br />In the 1996 legislation, the federal government preempted local and state <br />governments from regulating train horn noise. In 2005, after many years of <br />investigation and rule making, final rules regulating train horn noise were adopted. <br />There are 12 public grade crossings within the City that could be included in a <br />federally approved railroad quiet zone. <br />3.0 RAILROAD CROSSING QUIET ZONES <br />There are 12 public at grade crossings within the City. In the 1996 legislation, the <br />federal government preempted local and state governments from regulating train <br />horn noise. In 2005, after many years of investigation and rule making, final rules <br />regulating train horn noise were adopted. There are 12 public grade crossings within <br />the City that could be included in a federally approved railroad quiet zone. <br />The FRA rules provide a mechanism to evaluate how the City may minimize the noise <br />caused by the trains. The rules provide for communities to create quiet zones where <br />trains are exempt from horn regulations. There can be multiple quiet zones in a <br />community provided that each zone meets the criteria in the rules. This allows for <br />phasing of quiet zones based on funding, local development, and jurisdictional <br />issues. <br />In addition to the improvements necessary on the railway and roadway components <br />of an at -grade crossing, a Quiet Zone must be a minimum %:-mile in length, % -mile to <br />each side of a crossing. If a second crossing is within that distance, the Quiet Zone <br />must be expanded to include the second crossing. This requirement is based on the <br />maximum distance from a crossing that a train horn may be sounded and the <br />intention to maximize the impact of a Quiet Zone for a community. Eliminating a <br />train horn at one crossing but not a second crossing, 1,000 feet away, would still <br />mean that the area would experience train horns. <br />