Norfolk Southern train

Norfolk Southern has increased the number of trains passing daily through Lakewood and other western suburbs from an average of two to six. (File photo)

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Homes on many Lakewood streets, including Marlowe Avenue above, are close to Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio – The number of trains sounding their horns as they roll through the city has tripled over the past week from an average of two per day to six per day, and officials believe further increases are possible.

Lakewood officials, concerned about noise, are looking at options including establishing a quiet zone that could silence trains but cost millions of dollars in additional crossing safety equipment.

"Lakewood is long and thin, so we all hear it," Council President Mary Louise Madigan said. "On a summer night, everyone hears it."

What one resident says

City officials are especially concerned about nighttime horns disturbing residents living near the tracks.

Colleen Drews, a Marlowe Avenue resident, said her family recently noticed late night trains coming through.

"This morning, one came by at 4:30," she said. "I heard it coming in the distance, and several minutes later, it passed my house."

She said her children also are disturbed by the noise.

"We high-five the conductor every chance we get," Drews said. "We are that close."

26 crossings magnify concerns

More than four miles of Norfolk Southern Railway track run through the city, and the tightly packed suburb has 26 railroad crossings. Federal regulations require trains sound horns as they approach each grade crossing, meaning the blasts are nearly constant as a train travels through town.

Mayor Michael Summers received a call last week from Norfolk Southern telling him of the increase.

A 1998 agreement between Norfolk Southern and the cities of Lakewood, Rocky River and Bay Village limits train traffic to 14 per day, Summers said. The agreement was negotiated with the assistance of then U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

"If, in fact, the trend is to continue to increase train traffic, we are obligated to consider all the options to reduce that impact," Summers said. "You cannot be anywhere in Lakewood and not hear these trains because of their horns."

Establishing a quiet zone in Lakewood would require improving crossing safety. Typically, double gates are added to railroad crossings that prevent motorists from driving around lowered gates and onto the tracks in front of an oncoming train. However, at some crossings, other measures including medians that prevent drivers from swerving around gates are allowed.

Summers estimates the cost of adding the improved safety equipment would run about $500,000 per crossing. But once installed, trains could safely stop sounding their horns.

"You can apply for federal or state money, but there are lots of strings attached," Summers said.

He urged the railroad and state and federal governments to work with the city on exploring the possibility.

Olmsted Falls already has quiet zones

Olmsted Falls, which has two sets of railroad tracks running through town, worked with the federal and state governments about two years ago to arrange funding for quiet zones in that community. At the time, between 80 and 100 trains per day crossed the city.

Summers and a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur's office said they did not yet know if Lakewood could qualify for funding assistance for creating a quiet zone. Summers said the city also could be asked to look at closing some crossings on less traveled roads, creating dead-end streets.

"That might not be possible or appropriate," Summers said of the closures.

What Norfolk Southern says

Dave Pidgeon, a Norfolk Southern spokesman, said the increased train traffic between Vermilion and Cleveland is good news for the local and national economies. Railroads are struggling to meet shipping demands as manufacturing and shipping demands increase.

"We are handling carload levels that we have not seen since before the 2008 recession," Pidgeon said. "That is great news for Northeast Ohio, but it comes with infrastructure problems for Norfolk Southern. We have to find a way to handle more trains and more train traffic."

If Lakewood and the Federal Railroad Administration agree to establish a quiet zone, trains still could sound their horns in emergency situations including when trespassers are walking along tracks.

Summers said he would be meeting Kaptur and leaders of other western suburbs along the railroad in coming weeks to discuss their options.

"If we take the long view here, railroad traffic isn't likely to go away," Summers said. "We need to rethink how Lakewood manages that traffic more effectively. Our first 100 years, we just accepted it. We need to start thinking about our second 100 years."

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