Posted: Nov. 17, 2009

Trains could again be sounding their horns at every crossing in the village come fall, 2011 if Elm Grove fails to make safety improvements.

And though the safety rating for Elm Grove's railroad crossings fails to meet the federal standards necessary to maintain a train whistle ban, in part because of the Memorial Day train-van collision, a village panel has expressed an aversion to the most cost-effective solution staff members have found.

Those staffers say adding a rubber median lined with vertical reflective panels for 100 feet on either side of the railroad tracks at Juneau Boulevard would deter cars from skirting the barrier gates and entering the path of an oncoming train. It also would boost the village's safety rating and allow it to maintain its whistle ban.

The measure is estimated to cost $15,000.

Public Works committee members weren't taken with the plan - one trustee called the orange and white striped panels an eyesore - and asked to see options that would be less obtrusive. Those options, and their price tags, likely will be presented at a future meeting.

Alternatives exist

But appearance isn't the only concern panelists had.

The devices are a deterrent, not a barrier. They bend when a vehicle drives into them, popping back up when it passes - and that means drivers still can drive around the gates in an attempt to beat a train, Trustee George Haas said.

A concrete median, 6 to 8 inches high, at the crossing could go further to stop such drivers, but it would be more expensive.

Improvements at other crossings also could increase the rating; however, the Memorial Day crash gave the Juneau crossing the worst safety rating, and improving it would be the cheapest way to boost the village's overall rating, said Planning and Zoning Administrator Jessi Balcom.

Public Works Director Mike Flaherty said pointed out that measures taken now may be removed in a few years if a proposed high-speed rail line is approved and routed through Elm Grove. If that comes to fruition, four gates would be installed at each crossing, creating a gap-free barrier across the roadway.

Deadline is 2011

The village has until August 2011 to lower its safety rating, but any improvements installed will need Federal Railroad Administration approval - and getting that can be a lengthy process.

If the village loses its quiet zone status, it could be difficult to get it back, Flaherty said. The safety standards were less stringent when Elm Grove became a quiet zone, and to this day the requirements on the village remain less strict than those faced by communities who created a whistle ban at a later date. Should Elm Grove need to apply for new quiet zone status, it would face those higher, more costly, standards.