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• Quiet Zones

Quiet Zones

Provo motorists may have noted the new concrete medians appearing near train crossings in Provo at 200 West, 500 West, 700 West and 900 West. These medians restrict some turning movements that drivers have been used to having.

The short answer is that these medians are required to accommodate the coming FrontRunner commuter train that will run from Ogden to Provo. The medians are being installed as required by federal standards for commuter trains to prevent vehicles from being able to go around the crossing arms when a train is approaching an at-grade crossing.

Additionally, with these physical barriers, a “Quiet Train” zone can be implemented even in advance of the FrontRunner trains. This “Quiet Zone,” which has the same standard as the one required for the commuter trains, allows trains to move through the zone without sounding a warning horn in advance of every crossing. Once all of the medians are in place, application will be made to the Federal Railroad Administration for designation of a Quiet Zone in Provo, which we expect to happen in early spring of 2010.

When fully developed, the entire FrontRunner corridor from Ogden to Provo will have these medians built at every at-grade railroad crossing used by the FrontRunner. With these enhanced safety features, trains will be able to move faster through the corridor, providing better commuter train service and shorter waits for crossing arms at crossings.

While the City and UTA understand the inconvenience of the limited turning movements in these median areas, the need for better, faster and more convenient transit options will be the result.

Links of Interest for Commuters on FrontRunner and Quiet Zones