Railroad Quiet Zones
A quiet zone is a minimum one-half mile long railroad corridor containing one or more public roadway crossings where train horns are not routinely sounded. All crossings must have flashing lights, gates, and constant warning before a quiet zone can be established. Train horns may still be sounded in the case of an equipment malfunction or if a person or vehicle is near the tracks.
There are five ways to quiet crossings. These supplemental safety measures are considered equal to use of the train horn.
- Permanent or night-time closure of roadway
- Four-quadrant gates
- Raised medians or channelization devices
- One-way streets with gates
- Wayside horns
Five-Year Affirmation
Once established, a quiet zone must be re-evaluated periodically to demonstrate that safety requirements continue to be met. A report is submitted every five years for each quiet zone to document the supplemental safety measures that are in effect.
- Hickman Quiet Zone - Mar 2021 (4.96 M)
- Waverly Quiet Zone - Oct 2023 (853 K)
- Lincoln Saltillo Quiet Zone - Sep 2022 (8.56 M)
- Lincoln South Salt Creek Quiet Zone - Sep 2022 (10.3 M)
- Lincoln South Quiet Zone - Sep 2022 (2.47 M)
- Lincoln North Quiet Zone - Aug 2019 (6.35 M)
For more information about the requirements that communities must meet in order to implement a Quiet Zone, see the FRA Final Rule.
Lincoln's Quiet Zones
Lincoln has four designated Quiet Zones, which include twelve crossings along the BNSF railroad.
- 1. Lincoln North Quiet Zone
- Four crossings along the BNSF tracks and Cornhusker Highway at:
- 33rd Street
- 35th/Adams Street
- 44th Street
- 70th Street
- 2. Lincoln South Salt Creek Quiet Zone
- One crossing at 1st and J streets.
- 3. Lincoln South Quiet Zone
- Six crossings, generally along the 3rd street corridor, with crossings at:
- āDā Street
- South Street
- Park Blvd
- Pioneers Blvd.
- Old Cheney Road
- South 14th Street
- 4. Lincoln Satillo Road Quiet Zone
- One crossing at Satillo Road, just west of 27th street
Other Lancaster County Quiet Zones
- Waverly Quiet Zone
- Two crossings along the BNSF tracks and US-6 at:
- 141st Street
- 148th Street
- Hickman Quiet Zone
- The Hickman Quiet Zone includes three crossings:
- Hickman Road
- Private Crossing
- 2nd Street
Map of Quiet Zones in Lancaster County
- Lincoln North
- Lincoln South Salt Creek
- Lincoln South
- Lincoln Satillo Road
- Waverly
- Hickman