FREEPORT – The prospect of train whistles disturbing residents and tourists when the Downeaster starts serving Freeport and Brunswick in November sparked a lively public hearing Tuesday night at Town Hall.
The Town Council is considering a proposal to make railroad crossing improvements at eight intersections and then seek a so-called quiet zone from the Federal Railroad Administration. The upgrades would cost as much as $120,000 overall.
Additional Photos
Candace Myers of Cottage Street was one of about a dozen people who spoke in favor of establishing a quiet zone, saying train whistles do little to dissuade people who are bent on walking or riding along train tracks when they’re “foolish and making bad choices.”
Jamie LeBlanc, owner of the 99-room Hilton Garden Inn on Park Street, urged the council to consider the value of a quiet zone for the more than 50,000 people who stay at his hotel each year.
“They’re going to be real close to those whistles,” LeBlanc said. “The sound will definitely be impactful.”
Edward Bonney of Lower Main Street was one of three people who spoke against a quiet zone. He pressed councilors to avoid compromising public safety without doing a cost-benefit analysis of banning train whistles.
“Safety has to be the No. 1 factor,” Bonney said.
The crossings under review are at West, Bow, School and East streets in the village, and at Webster, Hunter, Upper Mast Landing and Fernald roads.
The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and Pan Am Railways are replacing 28 miles of track and making safety improvements at 30 crossings from Portland to Brunswick.
Federal law requires train engineers to sound their whistles before crossing roads. Towns may apply for quiet zones — where train whistles are blown only in emergencies — after making additional safety improvements at railroad crossings.
Town officials in Falmouth and Cumberland also are establishing or considering quiet zones.
When passenger service to Brunswick starts, the Downeaster is expected to make at least three round trips each day, including trips without passengers when the train goes from Portland to Brunswick to start its first run, and from Brunswick to Portland for storage at the end of the day.
The exact schedule north of Portland is still uncertain.
With track improvements, the speed limit for the Downeaster will be 30 mph in Freeport’s village and 50 to 60 mph on the outskirts. Freight trains now pass through Freeport about twice daily, often at night. The speed limit is 25 mph.
Freeport’s council is considering curbing and traffic island upgrades known as “channelization” to prevent drivers from going around crossing gates, as recommended by Wayne Duffett, a consulting engineer with TEC Associates in South Portland. Channelization costs about $15,000 per crossing.
The council plans to seek additional information and continue discussing the possibility of establishing a quiet zone in the coming months, said Chairman Jim Cassida.
Several councilors said they want to experience the train without a quiet zone before deciding whether one is necessary.
“We need to be very cautious,” Cassida said.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.