Trains are a little noisy, even without the horns. They thunder by at 2 a.m.
Ever watched a movie at La Paloma? The train's vibrations are a cool part of the experience.
Hopefully, Pacific Station is soundproofed and built to withstand a tank car explosion.
Freight trains are a serious public safety liability. Putting high density immediately next to the freight rail lines risks stretching the public safety and medical response resource closer to black-tag triage if there is a serious accident. What happens to the Scripps Hospital if there is a derailment involving a tanker car with hazardous materials at Santa Fe and Vulcan?
Hopefully, design standards, public safety planning and disaster planning have been adjusted to take into consideration the extra density along the tracks and the proximity of the hospital to the rail lines.
It will never happen in Encinitas. My friends said the same thing until their neighborhood blew up in San Bruno.
The train is not as noisy as the freeway and is a lot safer. I have lived in Leucadia near the tracks for more than 40 years and much prefer the occasional sound of the train to the continuous din of I-5.
ReplyDeleteI take the train to San Diego and Los Angeles and have never had to wait for hours in a traffic tie-up. I can't even tell you how many hours I have sat on I-5 waiting for an accident to be cleared!
It is a lot nicer to take the train.
ReplyDeleteThe freeway reduces home values too. Dangerous chemicals are on the freeway too, but the volume in an individual freeway incident is much smaller.
The train waits for hours every time there is an accident on the tracks.
There are no high density buildings as close to the freeway lanes like there are next to the freight train.
I see the point.
The train is a 200 year old mode of transportation and more times than not, picks up people where there not coming from, and takes them to where they're not going to.
ReplyDeleteanother train wreck:
ReplyDeletehttp://encinitasundercover.blogspot.com/
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ReplyDeleteTrain traffic through Encinitas increased from 12 trains a day to currently about 90 trains a day from 1970 through today. They will double again in a few years.
ReplyDelete12 train horns a day are bearable. 200 train horns a day are ridiculously bad for the area. Silence the train horns now! There is no reason why the City hasn’t adopted a quiet zone like so many other Cities throughout CA.
Barth and Gaspar have the right direction on this one. I sure wish someone would push NCTD on the issue.
Let those effected pay for the train quieting. Why should those not effected have to suffer financial hardship for a few that bought their homes next to the tracks. They should have known that trains make noise.
ReplyDeleteIts not a few dork, its many.
ReplyDeleteHelping quite the horns would be good for all of Encinitas residents that shop or go to the beach downtown. Its would also be great for the City finances. More property tax, sales tax and TOT tax. Its simple. Quieting the horns is good for all.
Bull for Bill. The only people this expenditure will help are the people that foolishly purchased homes next to the tracks. If it will benefit all of the people Bill wants to pay for it, lets put it on the ballot and see how many residents want to spend their money to benefit a few?
ReplyDeleteI shop and eat downtown Encinitas at least five times a week and the train noise has never bothered me.
I don't understand how quieting a train whistle will raise revenue for the city? Show me how many hotels are bothered by train whistles in Encinitas? There are none so how is TOT tax effected?
There was the time in Encinitas that you took a flag from a holder on the side of the station and flagged the train down to stop and pick you up.
ReplyDeleteOh old tax lady,
ReplyDeleteWe know your bitter and ready to live your last few years out with no change.
We get it.
Sorry, but some of us want a safer more enjoyable Leucadia. It will happen because it needs to happen. Safety and quality of life are important to people.
We are sorry you don't get it but accept change because its coming. Sorry old geezer.
Bill you must be a democrat, when you don't have a legit argument attack the opponent.
ReplyDeleteIn 2004, there were 294 fatalities attributed to automobiles in San Diego County. In the same year, there were 116 fatalities attributed to rail accidents in the entire state of California (including collisions at highway crossings, so possibly some overlap in the number). Studies have also shown health issues linked to residents living near a freeway.
ReplyDeleteTrain technology in US may be 200 years old, but it is actively developed in other countries. Japan's high-speed trains have had no passenger fatalities due to derailments or collisions in 45 years of operation. There has been only one derailment caused by an earthquake.
Perhaps people's opinions of trains would be different if as much money was spent on advancing rail technology in US as is spent on building ever-wider highways.
Lots of restaurants, motels and family homes along the train corridor. A quieter rail zone is logical.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Surfy
ReplyDeleteDel Mar has l'Auberge right at the railroad crossing as well as lots of vacation rentals nearby.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Del Mar come up with private funding for wayside horns but the people of New Encinitas and Olivenhain are forced to subsidize Cardiff and Leucadia's lifestyle?
Same reason we subsidize moonlight beach and all the sports parks..... because the general public benefits..... not everyone uses the assets but they are there if you need them.
ReplyDeleteEveryone that visits, walks ridebike and goes to the beach would benefit from quiet zone. quiet zones have a huge rate of return on their initial low capital costs unlike Sports Parks, and recreation facilities.
Here you can choose from long slim truckers style horns, triple bell air horn clusters, black ABS horns as well as a cost effective ABS horn finished in a gleaming chrome. Most pvc train horn vendors offer Prue-configured kits as well as the individual components.
ReplyDelete