Dear City Councilmembers,
Thank you for your consideration and support for the Quiet Zone to date. Im requesting, as a Boardmember of Burgess Classics, that you approve the funding for this vital next step with the study.
When I first bought my home in 2004, the train horns were not a problem, even though there were more than 80 commuter trains per day then.
However, once the trains had to increase their number of horns to three or four times per train crossing, for which there are three in Menlo Park and so close together, it created a loud, continuous stream of horn sounds for as many as fifteen horns per train. When two trains pass each other from opposite directions, its quite a cacophony.
Since the electrification of CalTrain is expected to increase the number of trains significantly, the frequent and very prolonged horns are a big problem for so many Menlo Park residents.
There is already a large percentage of residents who are challenged by the loud and long horns 24 x 7, disturbing childrens and adults all-important sleep, and disrupting conversations and work calls.
Also, horn sounds travel quite far to many more residents than just those closest to the tracks. The new 5-story buildings for the two big developments next to the tracks are now bouncing twice the level of train sounds further into the residential neighborhood to the east of the trains.
Since most residents in Menlo Park dont have air conditioning because of our usually temperate climate, windows are open Spring, Summer and Fall, which amplifies the sounds. Some cant afford to get air conditioning installed, or pay the large energy bills. The train noises will force more current and upcoming residents to use A/C, which will increase our carbon footprint as a city.
With the new developments opening at SpringLine and Middle Plaza, plus those in the ParkLine project, more thousands of new residents and office workers will have to contend with these prolonged and loud horns day and night.
Please approve the funding for the QZ study since this impacts such a large percentage of residents, and patrons and workers for current and soon-to-open businesses and offices.
Thank you,
Sue Connelly
