Draft Environmental Impact Statement Proposed Rule for the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings December 1999 Office of Railroad Development Washington, D.C. 20590 Draft Environmental Impact Statement U.S. Department of Transportation Proposed Rule for Federal Railroad the Use of Locomotive Horns Administration at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Office of Railroad Development Washington, D.C. 20590 December, 1999 Date Jolene M. Molitoris Administrator Federal Railroad Administration U.S. Department of Transportation For additional information concerning this document contact: David Valenstein, Office of Railroad Development, FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave. (Mail Stop 20), Washington, D.C. 20590 (tel. 202-493-6383). For information regarding the rule-making process contact: Mark H. Tessler, Office of Chief Counsel, 1120 Vermont Ave. (Mail Stop 10), Washington, D.C. 20590 (tel. 202-493-6038); or Ronald Ries, Highway Rail Crossing and Trespasser Programs, Office of Safety, FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave. (Mail Stop 17), Washington, D.C. 20590 (tel. 202-493-6299). Full implementation of the proposed rule, would require that locomotive horns be sounded at virtually all public highway-rail at-grade crossings in the United States. The proposed rule contains additional provisions that would set a maximum sound level for locomotive horns, limit sound directed to the side, prescribe when and how to sound the horn, and provide an opportunity to any community in the nation to establish a quiet zone. Use Of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings DEIS TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Title Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ES-1 INTRODUCTION ES-1 ES-2 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE NPRM ES-1 ES-3 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ES-2 ES-4 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ES-2 ES-5 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ES-3 ES 5.1 Effects On Safety ES-3 ES 5.2 Effects On Noise ES-4 ES 5.3 Cumulative Effects ES-6 ES 5.4 Other ES-7 ES 5.5 Impact Conclusions ES-9 ES-6 PUBLIC COMMENT ES-10 CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-1 1.1 PURPOSE AND NEED 1-1 1.2 THE PROPOSED ACTION 1-2 1.2.1 The Locations Affected 1-3 1.3 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 1-3 1.3.1 Future Opportunity to Participate 1-4 CHAPTER 2: ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2-1 2.1 NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE 2-1 2.2 PROPOSED ACTION 2-1 2.2.1 Implementation Flexibility 2-5 2.2.1.2 Waivers 2-6 Chapter 3: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 3.0 INTRODUCTION 3-1 TOC - 1 Use Of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings DEIS 3.1 THE LOCATIONS AFFECTED 3-1 3.1.1 Methodology for Identifying Crossings for Study 3-1 3.1.2 Grade Crossings with Current Bans 3-2 3.1.3 Former Locations of Whistle Bans 3-4 3.2 SAFETY OF HIGHWAY-RAIL CROSSINGS 3-4 3.2.1 Data Description 3-4 3.2.2 Before and After Case Studies 3-5 3.2.3 Initial Whistle Ban Collision Summary 3-9 3.3 NOISE AT HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS 3-12 3.3.1 Noise and Acoustics Concepts 3-13 3.3.2 Noise Impact Criteria 3-14 3.3.3 Development of a Predictive Train Horn Noise Model 3-18 3.3.3.1 Reference SEL 3-19 3.3.3.2 Propagation 3-20 3.3.3.3 Impact Zones 3-21 3.3.4 Application of the Model Horn Noise Model 3-21 3.3.4.1 Horn Noise Prediction 3-22 3.3.4.2 Population Exposure Prediction 3-24 3.4 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 3-25 3.4.1 Environmental Justice 3-25 3.4.1.1 Definitions 3-25 3.4.1.2 Noise Impacts in Minority 3-26 or Low-Income Communities 3.4.1.3 Establishment of Criteria 3-26 3.4.2 Health and Human Welfare Impacts 3-27 3.4.3 Economic Impacts 3-27 Chapter 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES 4.0 INTRODUCTION 4-1 4.1 EFFECTS ON SAFETY AT HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS 4-1 4.2 EFFECTS ON NOISE AT HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS 4-3 4.2.1 Cumulative Effects 4-10 4.2.1.1 Horn Sounding Distance 4-11 4.2.1.2 Horn Sound Level and Directionality 4-13 4.2.1.3 Quiet Zones 4-14 4.3 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 4-15 4.3.1 Environmental Justice 4-15 4.3.1.1 Estimation of Environmental Justice Impacts 4-16 4.3.1.2 Number of Minority and Low-Income People 4-16 TOC - 2 Use Of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings DEIS Potentially Affected by Noise 4.3.2 Health Effects of Noise 4-19 4.3.3 Economic Impacts 4-20 4.4 IMPACT CONCLUSIONS 4-25 4.5 MITIGATION 4-26 4.5.1 Effectiveness of Supplementary and Alternative 4-26 Safety Measures 4.5.2 Procedures Required To Implement 4-28 Quiet Zones 4.5.3 Mitigation Tool Box 4-30 4.5.3.1 Supplementary Safety Measures 4-30 4.5.3.2 Alternative Safety Measures 4-36 4.5.3.3 Applying The FRA Mitigation Tool Box in the 4-39 Form of a Quiet Zone 4.5.4 MITIGATION CONCLUSIONS 4-39 4.6 UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE IMPACTS 4-40 4.7 RELATIONSHIP OF SHORT-TERM USES AND LONG-TERM 4-40 PRODUCTIVITY 4.8 IRREVERSABLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE 4-40 COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES CHAPTER 5: PARTICIPANTS 5.1 LIST OF PREPARERS AND PRINCIPAL REVIEWERS 5-1 5.2 LIST OF PERSONS AND ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING 5-1 THE DRAFT EIS TOC - 3 Use Of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings DEIS LIST OF FIGURES Figure Title Page Figure ES-1 Distribution of Affected Railroad Crossings ES-5 Figure 3-1 Number of Crossings by State Subject to Current Whistle Bans 3-3 Figure 3-2 Number of Crossings with Nighttime-Only Whistle Bans 3-3 Figure 3-3 Collision History: 1989 through 1993 3-8 Figure 3-4 Percentage Increase in Collisions: Whistle Ban Vs. Non-Whistle Ban 3-8 Figure 3-5 Number of Accidents at Crossings During Whistle Bans 3-10 January 1988 Through June 1994 Figure 3-6 Number of Fatalities at Crossings During Whistle Bans 3-10 January 1988 Through June 1994 Figure 3-7 Source-Path-Receiver Framework 3-13 Figure 3-8 Noise Annoyance Curve 3-16 Figure 3-9 Noise Impact Criteria by Land Use 3-18 Figure 3-10 Source Level Model 3-19 Figure 3-11 Assumed Propagation Effects of Level vs. Distance of Sound 3-20 Figure 3-12 Typical Impact Polygons 3-22 Figure 3-13 Impact and Severe Impact Noise Curves 3-23 Figure 3-14 Sample of Noise Impact 3-25 Figure 4-1 Impacted and Severely Impacted Population at Selected 4-4 Railroad Crossings: Northeast Region Figure 4-2 Impacted and Severely Impacted Population at Selected 4-5 Railroad Crossings: Southern Region Figure 4-3 Impacted and Severely Impacted Population at Selected 4-6 Railroad Crossings: Central Region Figure 4-4 Impacted and Severely Impacted Population at Selected 4-7 Railroad Crossings: Western Region TOC - 4 Use Of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings DEIS LIST OF TABLES Table Title Page Table 3-1 Railroad-Highway Crossings Studied 3-2 Table 3-2 Comparison of Types of Warning Devices 3-2 Table 3-3 Collision Comparisons for Equal Time Intervals with and 3-6 And without Whistle Bans Table 3-4 Study Period Crossing Collisions (With And Without Whistle Bans) 3-7 Table 3-5 Collisions Experienced by Railroads at Crossings During 3-9 Whistle Bans: January 1, 1988 Through June 30, 1994 Table 3-6 Collisions in States at Crossings During Whistle Bans: 3-11 January 1, 1988 Through June 30, 1994 Table 3-7 Collision Conditions 3-11 Table 3-8 Land Use Categories and Metrics for High Speed Rail Noise 3-17 Impact Criteria Table 4-1 Current Whistle Bans - Total Persons Impacted and Severely 4-7 Impacted by Rule-Making, by State Table 4-2 Current Whistle Bans - Total Persons in 20 Counties with Greatest 4-9 Number of Impacted and Severely Impacted Persons by Rule-Making, by County Table 4-3 Current Whistle Bans - Total Persons in 20 Cities with Greatest 4-9 Number of Impacted and Severely Impacted Persons by Rule-Making, by City Table 4-4 Current Whistle Bans - Total Persons Severely Impacted and 4-10 Impacted by Rule-Making, by City and Nighttime Bans Table 4-5 Cumulative Effect of Mitigating Provisions on 159,000 4-12 Crossings Nationally Table 4-6 Minimum Estimated Population Concerned About 4-16 Train Horn Noise and Likely to Seek Relief Through Mitigation: A Cumulative Analysis of Current + Former Whistle Bans Table 4-7 Nationwide Summary of All Counties with Environmental 4-17 Justice Impacts Table 4-8 Estimated Benefits 4-21 Table 4-9 Estimated Costs 4-22 Table 4-10 Costs and Benefits of Alternative Implementation Scenarios 4-23 Net Present Value 1999-2029 Table 4-11 Categories of Costs and Benefits Included in Scenarios 4-24 Table 4-12 Mitigation Toolbox 4-27 TOC - 5 Use Of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings DEIS APPENDICES A Glossary B The Swift Act (Section 20153) C Notice of Intent and Notice of Extension of Comment Period D Scoping Report E Current Whistle Bans: Number of Impacted and Severely Impacted Persons by Rule-Making, by County F Current Whistle Bans: Number of Impacted and Severely Impacted Persons by Rule-Making, by City G Contents of “Overview of EIS Horn Noise “ from FRA Internet Web Page TOC - 6 Use Of Locomotive Horns At Highway-Rail Grade Crossings DEIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ES-1 INTRODUCTION The railroad transportation system is an essential component of the nation’s vital transportation infrastructure.