City of Rohnert Park

UPDATE - November 2017

SMART quiet zones in Penngrove, Cotati and Rohnert Park to go into effect on November 21. Once Quiet Zones are established, SMART trains will no longer use horns at railroad crossings in those areas, unless there is an emergency. Please use caution near all railroad crossings and near all tracks and trains.

The SMART train is coming to Rohnert Park, and so is a quiet zone. The City of Rohnert Park along with the City of Cotati and Sonoma County are pursuing a joint quiet zone, and expect to put it into effect this fall 2017. A quiet zone means:

THE HORN WILL NOT BLOW AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS
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The train will only sound the horn as it leaves a station or in the event of an emergency. Please talk to your family and neighbors about using extreme caution around the railroad tracks.

The horn will not blow at any intersection in City of Rohnert Park.*
*Please note, train engineers are still required by law to blow their horn if they see an unsafe situation, trespassers on the tracks, construction workers, or any other hazardous situation.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
http://betracksmart.org/

Background

Federal railroad regulations allow local agencies to establish “quiet zones” that limit the use of train horns within their jurisdictions. Currently every jurisdiction along the SMART corridor is pursuing a “quiet zone”. Forming a quiet zone is a multiple step process that requires submittal of Notice of Intent (NOI) and a 60-day review period and submittal of a Notice of Establishment and another review period. If Supplemental Safety Measures (SSMs) are proposed, these measures must be constructed and operational before a Notice of Establishment can be submitted.

On November 22, 2016, Council authorized staff to proceed with pursuing a joint quiet zone with Sonoma County and the City of Cotati. Acting as the lead agency, Sonoma County then submitted an NOI to establish a quiet zone that includes all street crossings in the unincorporated area between the Airport and Petaluma, and all of the street crossings in the cities of Rohnert Park and Cotati. The cities of Santa Rosa and Petaluma have applied separately for quiet zones. Specifically, the County’s NOI includes the following crossings.

On May 9, 2017, City Council approved the budget to construct the supplemental safety measures required to establish a quiet zone in Rohnert Park. Safety measure construction is complete in Rohnert Park. Once Sonoma County, the City of Cotati, and the City of Rohnert Park have all completed their safety improvements, the City will submit a Notice of Establishment. 21 days after that Notice, the quiet zone will take effect.

To sign up for SMART news updates and the quiet zone, sign up to receive e-notifications via your e-mail address.