Residents living along the CPKC railroad corridor in Edina have grown frustrated with the noise from train horns, particularly during evening and overnight hours. The city council voted to allocate $64,000 from the city's budget surplus to hire SRF Consulting to evaluate potential safety improvements at seven street-level crossings. This study is essential before the city can apply to the Federal Railroad Administration for quiet zone designation.

The council faces a genuine tension between two legitimate concerns. Train horns serve a critical safety function, alerting motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists to oncoming trains and preventing accidents. At the same time, the horns create significant disruption for nearby residents. "The city recognizes that the train horn sounding, particularly in the evening hours, is very disruptive to residents that live along the corridor," a city official explained. "At the same time, we also recognize that the train horn sounds for a good reason."

To establish quiet zones where horns are not required, federal regulations demand that cities first demonstrate the risks have been mitigated through safety improvements. "We first have to show that the risk of not having the train sound its horn at all of these at-grade crossings is mitigated," the official noted. The SRF Consulting study will evaluate what safety enhancements—such as improved signage, barriers, or crossing technology—could justify eliminating the horn requirement.

The city initially pursued a federal grant to fund the study but was unsuccessful. The council then approved using surplus budget funds to move forward. If the study identifies viable safety improvements, the city can submit its findings to the Federal Railroad Administration and pursue quiet zone status, potentially bringing relief to residents while maintaining safety at the crossings.