Dear Council Members,
I have lived near the railroad tracks for 24 years. During that time I have noticed a large increase in the number of trains and thus the train noise. It’s getting difficult for us to have people visit in our backyard because the din is now almost relentless, with the trains blowing their horns for the Encinal crossing, the Glenwood crossing, and then the Oak Grove crossing, with no breaks in between. That is 9 honks if there is a single train, and 18 honks if another train is going by at the same time. It’s ridiculous how antiquated the safety technology is for trains.
To create a quiet zone, I understand that it requires putting up double barriers at each crossing to prevent cars from going around them. This makes sense, not only for noise abatement, but for community safety as well.
Three days ago I was walking along Alma by the 7-11 at Oak Grove. A train was approaching and the barricades came down, so I began crossing Oak Grove because the traffic was stopped. All of a sudden I heard a car engine revving and cars honking, and then a car whizzed past me, coming from the RR tracks. Some lunatic decided he didn’t want to wait for the train and went AROUND the barricade just as the train approached. If I had been slower crossing the street, he could have hit me in his haste to get past the tracks. So not only was he endangering his own life, but also my life and the lives of people in cars waiting for the train to pass. He also sped very fast down Oak Grove towards Laurel street, which created an additional hazard. If double barricades had been in place, it would have been impossible for him to do this.
Atherton has managed to create a quiet zone in their community and I strongly urge you to create one in Menlo Park as well. Quiet is good for everyone and shouldn’t be only for the very wealthy.
Thank you for your consideration.
Diane Walter
1460 Mills Court
Menlo Park
