Sleepless in San Diego
  Information and Contacts regarding Train Horns & a Quiet Zone in San Diego
Home Page Answers Connections Sound Off Comments Shared Incident Report
Your Comments Shared
►Add your own comments by
Sounding Off           ►Read what Hotel Guests are saying about the Trains.
 
Name: Keith Bell
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Saturday, April 14, 2007
Time: 03:45:17 PM

After hoping to adjust to the train noise for about two years, I am convinced that there are some operational aspects that cause needless noise. No passenger train (including the Coaster) needs to blow its horn to announce it is leaving! And what about the all-night roar? Also, I believe there are some engineers on the Santa Fe line that delight in long horn-blowing (because there are one or two, thank God) who seem to be thoughtful. While I'm on the subject, WHY do some trolley operators have to "toot" 12 times, while others seem to feel that three short ones suffice? I love trains, and always have, but this is RIDICULOUS!

From: Tom Behm
Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 3:45 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Railroad Quiet Zone - Keep the Pressure On

 Keep up the good work, Pat. Aside from bugging the useless City Council, is there anything else I could do to help you. After living over 70 years in numerous cities, I can tell you this is the most dis-functional city gov't. I have ever known. However, it is also true that the average San Diegan does NOT get after things. What we could use is a serious SD City resident web page to encourage everyone to speak out. Tom Behm, CityFront
Name: Glenn Stokes
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Time: 04:51:19 AM

April 10 (early morning). Between 3am and 4:30am I unfortunately just happened to be awake. Two instances of engines passing through downtown occurred during that period of time. (Same train, 2 different trains, not sure). The horns are still, as we know, louder than appropriate for the environment and for the speed at which the trains travel through the downtown area , but at least the engineer or engineers sounded the horns in a reasonable and responsible manner, proof that it CAN be done and that the March 15 incident was extreme foul play. Even with the overly loud horns, if the train horns would sound in the future as they did this morning, downtown residents should not be quite so sleep deprived. The cost, as announced in the April 9 2007 edition of the San Diego Union Tribune, to retrofit crossings and streets so that the trains do not have to sound their horns at all is absurd. How much could it cost to add new train horns to all engines?. The train horns do not need to be heard five miles away when the train is moving at such slow speed and through an area that already has crossing arms. Already the crossing lights are flashing, the bells are clanging, there is enough noise without the train horns to wake anyone who is wake-able. The trolleys function just fine. What can be done to get the trains retrofitted to add low volume horns instead retrofitting all of the crossing arms and streets in the proposed Quiet Zone. Surely there can be a cost effective Plan B that will put much lower volume horns on the trains. Horns that are suitable in not only in San Diego but in all urban environments all across this country. ! Airport jet noise is monitored by microphones within the jet takeoff and landing corridors and violations can elicit fines. Perhaps legislation is needed to start monitoring train noise throughout urban corridors. There are video cameras on buses, and at trolley stations. We can video monitor the freeways. With today's wireless and solar power technology why not video a train?

From: Brett Schaffter
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 11:03 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Downtown Quiet Zone

Dear Editor,

Re: Costs soaring for pedestrian, rail projects By Jeanette Steele (4/9/07)

As a 15 year downtown resident, I wanted to express how important CCDC's work is on the Quiet Zone. As your article mentioned the CCDC and Council Member Faulconer have been listening very closely to the downtown residents, visitors, and business concerns, as we are all adversely affected by the overwhelming and unrelenting train horns in Downtown. The problem is getting worse. Approximately a year ago, residents like me were made aware that the FRA was going to start enforcing new train horn rules which would increase the volume and frequency of blaring train horns. The shear terror of these train horns has now become the #1 quality of life issue in Downtown. It is critical to health and well being of residents, businesses, visitors and the ongoing successful redevelopment of Downtown that that the Quiet Zone be implemented now. Simply the future of a livable and viable Downtown San Diego is at stake. The value of this project can not be counted in dollars... It's value is too great.

Brett Schaffter

Name: Frank Barning
Residence: Las Vegas, NV
Date: Monday, April 09, 2007
Time: 05:33:37 AM

In 2004, we seriously considered moving downtown from our home in University City. We identified two high rise condo buildings were really liked, the Harbor Club being one of them. When we realized the noise from trains and crossings were a major problem, we decided not to move downtown. We had wanted to be near the ballpark. Now we live in Las Vegas. I am really sorry that moving to downtown was not a option since we love San Diego and the Padres so much. We lived in SD from 1982-2005.

Name: Anonymous
Residence: Kettner Row Homes (Little Italy)
Date: Monday, April 09, 2007
Time: 10:23:23 AM

I have never worn ear plugs in my entire life until I moved to Little Italy and now I wear them every night when I go to bed. And I STILL get woken up by trains blowing their horns in the middle of the night. I can't wait for the Quiet Zone to take effect!!!

From: Sharon Tentilucci
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 8:58 AM
Subject: RE: More on Downtown Noise Pollution

Hi All,

Here I am spending time I don’t have to write this email but I will do so to help stop the madness with the trains and the trolleys. Why? Because in doing so I am helping to save the life of downtown San Diego. We need to protect our tourist trade and encourage, not discourage, others to move here so we can create the dream city we all want.

We need a maniacal engineer like the one from March 4 to motivate us again.

We get discouraged by the heartless responses from the BNSF and FRA personnel and we give up. We can’t do that because it makes it look like we are satisfied. We have to keep it up until we actually have the Quiet Zone.

We have to keep filing complaints, making ourselves heard, and doing whatever it takes to keep up the support. Just a thought but maybe once every so many months we should have a rally or something?

First, whoever finally got the gruesome 4 garbage dumpsters removed from the transit corridor walkway, THANK YOU! How nice it is to walk to work and not see that mess of garbage and homeless every morning!

I have also been complaining to Clean & Safe about the numerous homeless and insane that have been hanging out and sleeping on the benches behind The Grande very recently. The other day my husband called about 4 men who had a mini junkyard surrounding them for the day. The pavers are still filthy from the liquid and food they had spilled all underneath of them. I called about a guy screaming and yelling until he tired himself out and fell asleep. However, according to Clean & Safe it’s not up to them to remove anyone from the Depot but up to the Depot personnel. The Depot personnel are not doing their jobs.

When I first moved here about 18 months ago all I ever heard of the trolley was a buzz buzz when it came into the depot. Now I hear very few buzzes and instead many loud horns (there is no one on the tracks either). Some engineers blow the horn a couple times and others blow it 15-20 times. Only a very few are buzzing these days. At 4:30 in the morning I jump out of bed to look and there are no people on the tracks!!! Some engineers play songs on the horn during the holidays. What has changed over the last 6 months or so to cause this change? I spoke to a rep from MTS and he says it’s an FRA requirement to use the horn but some of the drivers choose to use the buzzer instead. Back to the FRA again!!!

We need to include the trolleys with the heavy rail when we implement the Quite Zone!!! A trolley beeps at the Santa Fe Depot every few minutes (during the wee hours it feels like it’s every few seconds)!!! If they were using buzzers it wouldn’t matter but now that they are using horns they have become as problematic as the trains to those of us who live close to the station.

Is there any progress being made to get the alternative electrical source to the trains so they can stop running and revving all night? Is it still on track for completion in June? That was the last I heard.

Thanks,
Sharon
The Grande North
(I have a bird’s eye view right over the tracks)
From: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2007 2:34 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: U-T contact info
 
Pat,
Many thanks for speaking with me today. Let's keep in touch on the Quiet Zone issue as it goes forward?
Best regards,
Jen
 
Jen Steele, staff writer
The San Diego Union-Tribune
600 B Street, suite 2350
San Diego, CA 92101
619.293.1030 tel
619.260.5094 fax
[email protected] 
From: Peter Hobbs
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 8:44 AM
Subject: Expansion of port traffic in the Union, B3
 
Dear Pat,
Sure you read about the increase in Port traffic on page B 3 of today's paper. No mention of trains. I'd be willing to bet that none of the commissioners live downtown. Love to read about them patting themselves on the back for the increased traffic. It was bound to happen as the ports to the north have to turn business away. Just wait until the port is completed north of Ensenada and watch the train traffic increase even more.
Peter Hobbs
From: Jeremy L. Lane [mailto:[email protected] ]
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 4:36 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Quiet Zones
 
Good Afternoon. My name is Jeremy Lane and I live in Fresno, CA. Lately, my neighbors and I have noticed that the train horns seem to be getting louder and occurring with greater frequency. We feel the increased train traffic and louder horns are decreasing our quality of life. Your website has offered some great direction for us desperate souls ready to engage an issue you have already taken on and prevailed.
 
I was curious if you had developed a general step by step road map from your experience that led to your successful proposal and implementation of quiet zones. If we have the correct direction and game plan, I believe it would simply come down to a matter of execution.
 
Any information or direction you may have will be greatly appreciated. Thank you
 
Jeremy L. Lane
Phone: 559.264.3427
Fax: 559.268.7651
[email protected]
www.baloianfarms.com
From: Peter Hobbs
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: More on Downtown Noise Pollution

Dear Pat,

Thanks for mentioning the motorcycles. Just once I would like to be in the street with a baseball bat (kidding as they roared by). This also brings up the busses with their jake or engine breaks on as they drive.

These guys are just plain lazy and you are right in most cities they ban engine breaks within city limits. When the conventions are on the busses move between the convention center and the hotels with maybe two or three people. Not only is the noise and traffic inconvenient but the pollution has to be even worse. I know you have to get people to Con Vis from the hotels but dear God extend the times to fill the busses or go to electric vehicles downtown.

We live at Kettner and G St. which has got to be the noisiest. I am going to get a noise meter and will let you know what we come in at. On a side note we have a small boat at the Marriot and walk over and try to take it out several times a week. Last night I was tied up to the new dock over at the Boat House in Glorietta Bay and as I was sipping wine and reading a book I could hear the train all the way over by the Hotel Del. We have friends who live on the hills looking into the harbor in Point Loma. From our place in downtown they are 5.3 miles away and they can hear the horns from the trains. I have a daughter who lives in Mission Hills just south of Washington St and she hears the train from downtown more then the trains going to the west of her at Washington.

I have lived down here for years and never has the noise been greater.

The buildings have a lot to do with it as well. The high rises echo all the noise and amplify the sound even more.

One way to get the attention downtown is to require a disclosure statement about the noise to be read and signed by people when they are selling or buying real estate. This would have people screaming and finally joining in the fray to move this quite zone along.

Peter Hobbs
Park Row/ Kettner Blvd.
From: Sharon Tentilucci
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 10:38 AM
Subject: RE: San Diego BNSF March 4 incident....the saga continues....it is now March 29

Hi Alexandra,

We are just back from vacation in San Francisco after staying right in Union Square. It was actually quieter than here! I have been sending so many complaints on my own, especially before I left. We now even have trains sounding their horn "one time only" while sitting on the tracks in the middle of the night. For no reason! It's totally insane!

They are doing super loud announcements to the people inside the train but they have the doors to the train open so it's blasting out all over the neighborhood during all hours. It's total insensitive madness!

The trolley drivers are even getting into now too. I've been complaining about one of the engineers who hits the "loud" horn (as opposed to the "buzz" horn) about 15-25 times (no exaggeration) as he comes into the station. He does it every time even at 4am when there isn't a person on the tracks. He/she also plays little tunes. At Christmas time it was Deck The Halls. Cute huh?!?

The entire transit system personnel (trains & trolleys) all need some kind of "Awareness Training" so they can understand the seriousness of what they are doing!!!

I'm from back east and by now we would have had numerous Community Actions!!! Maybe it's time for one in our near future and perhaps we should start thinking about it. We could include all the neighborhoods.

Take Care,
Sharon
From: Alexandra Ferrer [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 6:41 AM
Subject: Re: San Diego BNSF March 4 incident....the saga continues....it is now March 29

Good Morning Everyone:

It is 450 in the morning in downtown San Diego. I was just awaked by the train, traveling North up Harbor Drive toward little Italy.

I know I am suppose to site the train number, but I cannot tell you the train number, for I can barely see the train, from my North West side of the building. Does this disqualify that it did not happen? No. I feel sorry for those on the other side of the building, getting a direct blast of the horn, all along the corridor of Harbor Drive from Park to C Street.

It woke me up 3 nights ago too, at a similar hour.

Let me guess tonight there was someone running along side the train, again this morning from Park Boulevard to C Street? The person is also hard of hearing and therefore the train engineer had to sound the horn, in what the FRA deems a "pattern"? Who knows maybe it was a flock of sheep between Park Boulevard and C Street.

Let's count Park Blvd. to C Street is......SIXTEEN blocks. Wow that person must be running pretty fast.

Stop the madness.
Listen to residents.
Sleepless in 92101,
Alexandra Ferrer
Prudential California Realty
619.726.6400
www.AlexandraRealEstate.com
From: Stan Scott <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 07:52:43
To: [email protected]
Subject: your train message response

Leeann,

Your email response of March 4th is a complete joke.  These conductors are being asses just because they can.  Most of them try to keep the noise down but there are a few such as the one on 4 March that are just being asses.  I am sure the person that recorded the video shot it from his apartment thus not recording the movement of the train along the entire route. I walk on the sidewalks next to the train all the time.  I have seen conductors laughing at people that are covering their ears (from pain) as they sound their horns excessively.  In your email you said they followed a pattern.  Well I often see them repeat the pattern immediately with no pause between the patterns.  They are not doing the pattern for the next crossing.  I live at the Harbor Club and the crossings are just one block apart but the train will often sound the pattern 3-4 times as it goes by.  I know your next response but there just isn't anyone out there at 0300 and they definitely don't need to blow their horn that much in order to alert anyone that might have been there.

Your a joke, your BNSF buddies are Jokes and at least one of your conductors is a looser! Big L for all of You.  I am glad that I am not part of your team!

Stan Scott

Name: Edward Watkins
Residence: Treo
Date: Friday, March 16, 2007
Time: 03:49:48 PM

Train noise through the night is absolutely out of control and no one in the San Diego government seems to care or wants to do anything about it. Perhaps a lawsuit would get their attention. Also, I don't care how wise the FRA seems their horn rule to be... this madness has got to stop. Can anyone from the FRA explain to me why it's ok for the trolley horns and Coaster horns to be NO WHERE NEAR as loud as the freight trains going through at 3am?

An answer from someone over there who hasn't lost their mind would be greatly appreciated.

Name: Ed Watkins
Residence: Columbia & Fir (Little Italy)
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Time: 11:13:24 PM

First time writer:

Not sure why it's taken me this long to say something... but the freight train noise is absolutely out of control. I live at Treo at India & B St. and am wondering why the freight train's horn is SEVERAL times louder than the Coaster's or the trolley's for that matter. I have lived here for almost 3 years now and it has gotten worse over time. Could somebody please write back with any suggestions on what can be done about this obvious horn abuse by these engineers... especially through the early morning.

Thanks,
Ed Watkins
Name: Tracy A. Hoss
Residence: Other - Please specify
Email: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Time: 09:10:19 PM

Washington Street Crossing.

We are getting the HORNS too!!!! Every night the same time, the same horn noise! I know the BNSF is suppose to by law only blow the horn for 15 seconds total. I am here to say, that at times, it's much longer. The video on this web site is my nightmare. Because the Sassafras crossing is before Washington. Then after Washington is Old Town. So basically the BNSF whale on their horns all the way through because the crossings are so close together. What about the residents that live along the Hwy. 5 corridor??? Little Italy, Banker's Hill, Middle Town, Old Town??? How do we get some relief????? Please let me know. Thank you.

Sincerely yours,
Tracy A. Hoss
email: [email protected]
Name: Tracy Hoss
Residence: Other - Please specify
Email: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Time: 06:39:41 PM

What about the residents that live in Little Italy, Middle Town and, Old Town???? I live behind El Indio Restaurant and Safron Restaurant. EVERY NIGHT I am rudely awaken because Mr. Engineer decides that the Sassafras crossing and the Washington Street crossing are so close together he just decides to blow his horn NON-STOP. The Engineers continue to blow well passed Washington because Old Town crossing is next. Every night is CONSTANT BLOWING for at least 5 minutes. Your video on this web site is my NIGHTMARE!!! WHAT CAN WE DO!!!! As residents living along the Hwy. 5 the railroad is our biggest noise. Not the highway! If you can believe that!! The trains come at 12:30 pm then at 2:30 am then at 3:30 am. Do know how frustrating it is to be in a peaceful sleep only to be awaken by this obnoxious horn blowing??? It wakes me up out of a dead sleep. EVERY NIGHT!! What can I do to help get rid of this disease???? Please let me know.
Sincerely yours,
Tracy A. Hoss
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: FW: BNSF MAR 4 2007 0320HRS
 
We surely heard this wild man this morning too!!! He needs to be relieved of his assignment or drive cattle through Kansas. Absolute disrespect for the residents, for the issue, and for his own railway rules and regulations.....
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 3:43 PM
Subject: FW: BNSF MAR 4 2007 0320HRS
 
Everyone please watch this video!!!
 
If you haven’t done so already, take 5 minutes and make complaints today in reference to the terrorist engineer that blasted us all out of beds last night at 3:16 am going southbound.  It was beyond description!!!
 
This one engineer can single handedly bring down this city.  Who do you know that would want to stay in a hotel and have to listen to this every night while on vacation?  This engineer needs to be shown the door.
 
Good citizens deserve better than this!!!
 
cc: Lena Kent (BNSF)  [email protected], Councilman Faulconer  [email protected] , John Anderson  [email protected] , [email protected]
 
Sharon
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 3:56 PM
Subject: Re: BNSF MAR 4 2007 0320HRS
 
So glad somebody had this on tape. I would loved to have had the whole thing. Our whole family was awakened by this charming fellow last night who obviously gets his kicks off blowing people out of bed. I heard about 14 continuous blowing of his horn with maybe a fraction of second between them. Sounded like it was continuous for about 90 seconds......Unnecessary. I would love to locate his house and know the hours of the day when he is attempting to sleep so we could give him a little present. I don't know how your grabbed this video but it is priceless. And would love to see how the Transportation responds to this.
 
jim & diane cox
Name: Randy Jackson
Residence: Park Place
Date: Sunday, March 04, 2007
Time: 12:20:28 PM
 
Dear Council Member Faulconer & BNSF,
 
I am writing to ask you to take an immediate stand for the residents of Downtown San Diego and surrounding areas. The train noise that I was awakened by this morning at approximately 3:20am was without a doubt a new all time record of wreck-less abandon & disregard for our local community & quality of life.
 
Thank you for your continued work towards a "Quiet Zone". However, what is being done immediately to prevent this abuse? I have read and heard countless excuses and justifications from BNSF protecting the engineers behind requirements that force them to blow the horns etc. Where are the rules & regulations that protect us from this type of excessive abuse!?! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! This conductor/engineer must be reprimanded immediately and removed from his/her position upon another reported violation. Something tells me this probably isn't the first time someone has reported his/her misuse and abuse of the horn. These train horns are obnoxiously above sound limits that ensure our protection to begin with. What will you do above and beyond what is required of you in order to bring our safety in line with our rights to a peaceful & enjoyable quality of life?
Respectfully,
Randy Jackson
700 W. Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
Name: Brett Schaffter
Residence: Park Place
Date: Sunday, March 04, 2007
Time: 11:31:10 AM
 
I believe the idea behind train horns is to alert people in a close proximity to the train. Remember the old movie of a US President in the back of a caboose waving to the crowds as the conductor grabbed the cord to ring the train horn - there was something very pleasant and effective about this lower decibel "old fashioned" horn.
 
Today to accomplish the same task, we use horns that are equal to the decibels of a rock concert. Enough to damage your ear drums, wake neighbors in completely different neighborhoods and cause sleepless nights and drowsy days for those that must endure these over the top train horns.
When will the DOT figure out that high decibel levels that the trains horns are sound at (in a compact urban area) are actually doing more harm than good to the citizens. Tonight I never went back to sleep after a 3:20 a.m. train horn terror incident. I will drive around town and work on less than 3 hours of sleep! I may not have been hit by the train last night, but I'm certainly afraid that I'll be hit on the highway by another sleepless driver or machine operator that couldn't get the sleep that they needed do to the ridiculous decibel levels being used the train conductors.
 
It's time to bring common sense back to train horn volume.
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 8:50 AM
To: [email protected]; 'John Anderson'
Cc: 'Lena Kent'
Subject: RE: BNSF MAR 4 2007 0320HRS
 
This is awesome!!!  I haven’t been able to sleep since 3:16am I have been so angry!  Is BNSF employing terrorists or what???  This makes my “Top 5 Malicious Engineer” list.  It was one of the worst I’ve heard since I moved downtown 6 years ago.  He got n front of my building and blasted about 10-12 times.  I heard him doing the same coming into town and when I got out of bed and looked out my window he was going south and witnessed him doing the same thing to every building.
 
I would imagine the guests at all of the hotels last night made a resolution to NEVER come back to San Diego and stay along the bay.
 
You were so great to do this!  My hats off to you!!!  I will just fill out my little complaint and smile to myself that you got it all on tape and everyone can’t give the standard answer, “the engineers must blow 2 short and one long at each intersection”.  It’s about time we shoved some evidence at them.
 
Right On!!!
Sharon Tentilucci
The Grande North
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 8:17 AM
To: [email protected] ; [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: BNSF MAR 4 2007 0320HRS
 
Thanks for taking the time to put this out so quickly. We are at Park Row and really thought there must have been something on the tracks last night for the idiot engineer to continue with his shenanigans last night. This guy was way out of line. It's a good thing they stay in their trains as they would be lynched at those hours of the morning.
 
This has gone on so long with no common sense what so ever.
 
Lets see, Long Beach and Los Angeles ports are crowded so the excess freight is shipped to San Diego and then taken by train back to the Los Angeles area. All with the encouragement of our Port. Try talking to the Port and it is like an Alfred E. Newman scenario "what me to blame, oh we have no control over the trains". The port might not have that much control over the trains but they sure as hell do over the freight being shipped into San Diego and the times it could be shipped out.
 
As much as I love downtown and I have been here for almost 20 years this is just nuts and the engineers know it. If a disclosure about the noise and the lack of sleep would be required to be made to everyone moving into downtown then this nonsense would stop quickly.
 
Peter Hobbs
From: Glenn Stokes
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 4:23 AM
Subject: BNSF MAR 4 2007 0320HRS

Big Noisy Smelly Freight (BNSF) awakens and terrorizes downtown residents at 3:20am on an otherwise quiet Sunday Morning.  See and hear it on the attached video as the train crosses "G" Street and approaches Market St. from the North.  Segment 2 shows the train approaching Front Street from the North and it then proceeds towards 1st Street.  The train horn sounded in this manner as it traversed the entire length of the city from North to South.  This is nothing more than perversity and masochism on the part of the engineer.  There was absolutely no reason to sound the horn in this manner.
Video Taken from my residence balcony at 550 Front Street, San Diego CA.   Glenn Stokes.  PO BOX 124797 San Diego, CA 92112
Name: Chet Carroll
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Monday, February 26, 2007
Time: 07:48:10 PM

There is a personality difference among the engineers. Some of them blow the train horns reasonably while others can't seem to lay on their horns long enough. Sometimes, the 2 am train is exceptionally loud. I bet if you gave the engineers a personality test, you would find that the insecure ones blow their horns the loudest and longest. My wife also says they probably have the shortest _____ .

Name: Robert Geiler
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Friday, February 23, 2007
Time: 01:36:37 PM
 
The horns don't bother me as much as the trains idling all night at the Santa Fe station. Amtrak is changing their engines so they do not have to idle so long and converting their engines to electric eventually. Do you have any information on that?
Name: adrian torkington
Residence: Coronado
Date: Friday, February 16, 2007
Time: 10:42:21 PM
 
With increasing frequency the island quiet of Coronado is shattered by progressively loud, permissive and sustained train blasts round the clock and I can only think the on board train engineer, aware of the San Diego residents complaints, is relishing the opportunity to let everyone know he is there. I wish I could cite a specific time, but I can say its is quite literally round the clock. Thanks.
Name: Glenn Stokes
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Friday, January 12, 2007
Time: 12:17:03 AM
 
Thursday, January 11 2007, 10:50PM. Never in the five years that I have lived downtown in the Marina District have I heard such noise pollution coming from a train horn. The engineer sounded the horn repeatedly without letup as the engine went from South to North, at a very slow rate of speed. I gave up counting how many blasts of the horn occurred after the count reached 60 and even then as it faded into the distance I could still hear the horn as it blasted over and over non-stop. This engineer is an urban terrorist. He, or she, is out of control and doesn't deserve the job. I don't own or use any weapons, and will never do so; but I can envision that some day someone is going to go ballistic and get fed up with abusive harassing engineers and could just start shooting at these incredibly callous insensitive engineers. My sleep has been shattered and I am outraged enough to get out of bed, turn on the computer, and send the only blast that I can send, an e-mail blast that I hope reaches the right eyes and ears, and somebody with authority severely reprimands the person who terrorized our city tonight and who does not deserve to be an engineer. If it were in my power, they would be demoted and never permitted to drive a train again.
Name: Mark Smith
Residence: Doma Lofts (Little Italy)
Date: Thursday, November 23, 2006
Time: 12:13:39 AM
 
Well, I've had enough. I sold my my condo and I'm moving next week. I have no faith in our local government to pull of this quiet zone nor do I believe these a**hole conductors will honor it. This noise is simply intolerable. You win BNSF et.al.
Name: Susan Smith
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Friday, November 17, 2006
Time: 12:30:03 PM
 
I attended the big Quiet Zone meeting in July and was under the impression that trains are not supposed to idle for long periods of time. In fact, if any train is observed doing this, one should report it. Contrary to that statement, were statements made about how the trains have to idle overnight and, until there is an electrical system set-up at Santa Fe station, trains will park and idle all night. The Santa Fe station is a parking lot for overnight, intermittent idling and revving trains.
This type of noise pollution is constant throughout the night, without any break in the high decibel engine noise. There is an actual train depot down the tracks, but I was informed that it’s too crowded and too difficult to move trains around to park these idling trains.
Now, after you remove your foam earplugs in the early morning after sleeping next to what sounds like an F/A-18 Super Hornet (I’m not talking about your husbands here), take a nice stroll along the cobblestone pathway towards Little Italy for a morning cup of coffee. While you stroll, take a moment and enjoy the bougainvillea and atrium on the Grande side of the street. Cross over the tracks and be oh-so pleasantly greeted by very large plastic half-filled containers labeled, "Human Waste." Yes, disgusting, but true … the cobblestone pathways are storage areas for the waste products produced by our neighbors at Santa Fe Station.
These are but two situations that continue in the business practice of all train companies associated with Santa Fe Station. The time has come for our community to demand new business practices for Santa Fe station and railway companies. The neighborhood has evolved to include high-end luxury condos, with several new complexes being built as we speak. The demographic of residents in this confined area has exponentially increased and will continue to do so.
Somehow, I’m thinking the constant decibel level of parked and idling trains and the big vats of human waste on the sidewalks of a congested residential neighborhood warrant fines and investigation into the laws that govern such.
Trains and people can co-exist, but, the space has changed and the train companies MUST evolve, change their business practices and acclimate to the growing residential community around them.
Susan Smith
Name: Jerry Link
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Time: 08:34:00 PM
 
Last nite at 1:55AM the jerk engineer leaving town blew his horn 23 times going through the 1st and Front St. intersections. He repeated that at the Harbor Dr. and Market St. intersections. That action was uncalled for and not necessary, in other words intentional. 'Nuff said!!!!
Name: R.J.
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Time: 08:11:37 PM
 
I live in the hills right above San Diego Ave. on Linwood st. South Mission Hills. I am about 9 blocks(1/4 mile) from the tracks. I am woken up every night by the trains. After being woken up I can here the trains for 15 min. The blasts are so loud that it sets off car alarms! Why can't the trains have horns like our trolleys do? What is the need for a horn of that loudness? Why can we shut our airport down for the night due to noise restrictions but we can't get these trains to quit blowing these window shaking horns at 10pm - 6am???
I don't understand. I read the have a 20 sec window to blow a horn? One second is overkill!!!!
Name: Cathy Preston
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Friday, October 27, 2006
Time: 08:54:36 PM
 
I live at Camden Tuscany on Kettner and the horns on the Surfliner, Coaster and freight trains are extremely loud. The Surfliner and Coaster lay on their horns for about three crossings that are very close together and they never stops blowing. It happens all day long and into the middle of the night The freight trains start blowing their horns and only stop at around 4 a.m. The noise of the horns go on forever and when empty they rattle and screech on the tracks.
Name: sleepless in san diego
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Monday, October 23, 2006
Time: 03:13:48 AM
 
why don't we have a link to the union tribune so that we can keep them in the loop when politicians don't follow through on their pledges (i.e. Kevin Faulconer and the monthly meeting?). We should alert them of every incident as well...
Name: sleepless in san diego
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Monday, October 23, 2006
Time: 03:09:32 AM
 
Constant, incessant blowing of the horn. No discernable pattern. Totally without reason or purpose.
Name: Sleepless in San Diego
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Monday, October 23, 2006
Time: 03:05:47 AM
 
Thurman,
The last meeting regarding the quiet zone was held on July 17, 2006. In the meeting, Kevin Faulconer pledged to hold monthly meetings, and in summaries to that meeting, we were told there would be monthly meetings.
WHEN WILL KEVIN FAULCONER FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT PLEDGE?
cc: The Union Tribune
Name: Andrew Kennerly
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Time: 12:51:47 PM
 
I live in Carlsbad and train hours are out of control here as well and I'm interested in getting a quite zone here as well.
Name: Wendy
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Sunday, September 24, 2006
Time: 06:59:55 PM
 
What is the latest on this Quiet Zone process and when can we expect some sleep filled nights downtown? Anyone have an update?
Name: Bill Packwood
Residence: Watermark
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Time: 09:10:29 AM
 
I've just returned from 3 weeks in Europe which included considerable train travel. Somehow they manage to avoid the use of the annoying train whistles that we are bombarded with in San Diego. Keep up the fight to improve our downtown.
Name: Paula Tilghman
Residence: Kettner Row Homes (Little Italy)
Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Time: 03:30:20 PM
 
Not only are the freight trains a problem, but the Amtrak are so bad. They seems to blast the horn continually in the evening. Is it a sign of "my train is bigger than yours or what"? Make all the train conductors stay in one on the train side units on Kettner and see what happens. PLEASE make the trains be a lot quieter.
Name: Keith Bell
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Monday, September 11, 2006
Time: 07:32:26 PM
 
I am coming up with a list of RULES that need to be adopted to lessen the train horn noises. For example, I see no benefit whatsoever in an engineer blowing "good-bye" to the station as the train is about to depart. Why is this necessary? Perhaps there is a law that requires this. Another is: No horn blowing (freight train) as you pass by the courtyard between the north and south towers of The Grande at Santa Fe Place! This is not even a crossing and is routinely a place where a horn sounds. What? Are there birds on the tracks?
Name: Sharon Tentilucci
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Monday, September 11, 2006
Time: 12:21:25 AM
 
In reference to the negative remarks... I lived back east for 49 years and spent countless nights in NYC and never encountered anything like our train noise anywhere in the city. NYC is much to sophisticated to allow anything like this to go on there! Let's tell it like it is. Putting up with the horn blasts and a train station so backward the trains have to run all night long to keep the refrigerator cars cold sounds like Mayberry RFD. Certainly not NYC! Expecting a city and it's government to pull itself up and rise to the level of the residents (yes, residents with nice digs) is called progress. Just because we were once cavemen doesn't mean we have to stay that way forever!
Name: Sharon Tentilucci
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Sunday, September 10, 2006
Time: 11:31:32 PM
 
Has any noticed how much louder the trains have gotten as they sit and idle all night long? Talk about noise and air pollution!!! If this were private industry the government would be making them pay fines for all this pollution. This is totally unacceptable! We need to address this just as much as the horrible horn blasts. We should email Councilman Faulconer at [email protected] and bring this to his attention as well.
Name: Cheryl
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Thursday, September 07, 2006
Time: 04:27:36 PM
 
Can anyone explain in plain English what the new revised horn rule (Aug 17) really means????
Name:      Bob
Residence: Treo
Date:      Thursday, September 07, 2006
Time:      10:04:17 AM

It seems that the blasts of the  horns have gotten longer and louder the last week or so (not just SFBN, but also Amtrac!). Several times the horn blast has started before the Ash St crossing (northbound) and continued in one continuous blast without stopping, completely thru the crossing. Has something changed to cause this (I thought it was supposedly 2 longs, a short, then another long)?. Also, I thought the trollys were relieved of the "honking" rule? They stopped for a few days, now are doing it again at the Ash St crossing, louder than ever. Did I miss something?

Name:      Jerry Sciborek
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date:      Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Time:      11:28:24 AM

What is happening? When is the next meeting? I thought that there was to be one every month. Last night Sept 5 was the worst night yet! every 2 hours starting from 10 pm until 6am. Long loud blasts. Totally unacceptable! What is wrong with these selfish engineers.

Name:      Thomas P. Keane
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date:      Saturday, September 02, 2006
Time:      10:36:50 AM

Hello my name is Tom Keane and I am the President of Global Rail Consulting Services and I would like to introduce my company and possilbly provide you with our services. 

Global Rail Consulting Services can manage the logistics for obtaining Quiet Zones and maintaining existing Pre-Rule Quiet Zones for your community. The silencing of locomotive horns will cease in all existing Quiet Zones as of December 18, 2004 unless certain actions are taken prior to this date. Global Rail Consulting Services (GRCS) can assist your community in the continuance of existing Pre-Rule Quiet Zones, which are presently established and obtain New Quiet Zones.

Global Rail Consulting Services (GRCS) is a full-service organization that can provide a staff of experts to continue Pre-Rule Quiet Zones and coordinate the Diagnostic Team, which is required under 49 CFR Part 222 by the Federal Railroad Administration.

The Diagnostic Team consist of the Public Authority CEO, the Public Authority Traffic Engineer, the Public Authority Law Enforcement, the respective railroad and a member of our GRCS staff. The GRCS Senior Consultant will be responsible for analysis and diagnostics on each railroad crossing in your proposed Quiet Zone. As well, our GRCS Public Relations/Marketing staff will perform Community Outreach services; meet with Public Officials and organizations within the community. Each railroad crossing will be evaluated for any potential upgrades to qualify for the Quiet Zone and should upgrades be necessary, we can facilitate and obtain cost estimates. An inventory of the specifications at each railway crossing will be recorded and once the diagnostics have been achieved, the GRCS Processing Department will prepare the necessary application and present it to the Public Authority CEO for signature and submittal.

The GRCS staff will be an invaluable asset to you in obtaining the Quiet Zones in your area. GRCS will guide you through the process with ease, professionalism and assist you in ensuring the safety and ‘quiet enjoyment’ of your community.

Sincerely,
Tom Keane
[email protected]
or 561-251-5155

Name: Keith Bell
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Sunday, August 20, 2006
Time: 01:43:23 PM
 
Whatever happened to the plan to install devices that would allow trains parked at the Santa Fe station all night, thus ending the constant roar of idling engines as we attempt to sleep?
From: Thurman Wise [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 9:34 AM
Subject: Quiet Zone
Mr. McArron,
I would like to apologize for the removal of the CCDC link from the District 2 website. On the latest update it was accidently removed, however it is back up on our website. Also, we are currently creating a page which will be dedicated to the Downtown Quiet Zone. If you have any further concerns or suggestions please feel free to contact me.
-Thurman Wise
W. Thurman Wise
Council Representative
San Diego City Council District 2
Office: (619) 236-6622
Fax: (619) 236-6996
Name: Sharon
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Friday, August 18, 2006
Time: 07:22:57 AM
 
I can't wait to see how this all works out with the limited train traffic while they restore the Del Mar Bluffs. If they manage well enough maybe we could put some intense pressure on to keep it that way forever! No trains at night for good. That works!!!

From: Thurman Wise [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2006 2:16 PM
Subject: Downtown Quietzone

I'd like to introduce myself to you as Councilmember Faulconer's representative to the downtown community.

The City does recognize how noisy the trains are for downtown residents, especially at night. We are currently working to establish Quiet Zones downtown but this is not a simple task.

In case you missed it, Councilmember Faulconer organized a community forum to inform concerned residents of the status of implementing Quiet Zones downtown as well as answer questions as to what is required of train engineers when blowing their whistles.

The Councilmember now plans to hold monthly meetings with stakeholders working to implement the Quiet Zones to ensure that all parties are meeting their deadlines. Feel free to check the Council District 2 website as well as ccdc.com for updated information.

I've compiled some information below that was presented and discussed at the recent Downtown Quietzone meeting.

Background
Downtown San Diego, like many urban environments, has had a substantial increase in people living adjacent to railroad tracks and crossings. Noise and safety at downtown's rail crossings have become major concerns for residents and for CCDC. The Federal Government, through the FRA, has finalized legislation to limit the noise from train horns in residential areas. CCDC is moving forward with an application to designate downtown a Quiet Zone, and expects to complete the project by summer 2007. In order to establish a Quiet Zone, the railroad crossings are improved with safety enhancements such as additional gates and warning lights. For information about the Federal Government's Quiet Zone regulations, please visit the Web site: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Default.asp

*   Timeline: The federal government completed the quiet zone legislation June 2005.  California only has three active quiet zones at this time- Sacramento, Placentia, and Riverside. Two of these qualified as pre-rule due to previous actions taken by the cities while the other is only a partial quiet zone. Much of the reason the Quiet Zone is taking so long to implement is the complexity of the design, construction, and required legal agreements (some of which have no precedent, and are being created for the first time).

*   Last June, 2005, the Redevelopment Agency approved the conceptual design for 12 crossings which include additional gates, medians, and pedestrian gates at some locations. The approval last June did not include the G Street one way conversion, as the traffic study was not complete at that time. The conversion will return to the Redevelopment Agency/City Council early this fall for final vote since the traffic study and 'negative declaration' are nearly complete.

*   The train horn must be sounded in a discernible pattern of two long blasts, one short blast and one long blast 15 to 20 seconds before the crossing and prolonged until the train occupies the crossing.  If multiple crossings are close together, the engineer can vary this pattern.  Train horn use is in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

*   The most helpful thing citizens can do it record as much information as possible regarding a particular incident. Please include information such as the train number, crossing, direction, and description of noise. Submit this to [email protected] .

W. Thurman Wise
Council Representative
San Diego City Council District 2
Office: (619) 236-6622
Fax: (619) 236-6996

Name: Luke LaRussa
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Time: 08:08:30 AM
 
I have been living in La Vita condos in Little Italy for almost 2 years. I live on the fourth floor, and can hear it every single night. I am so tired of hearing them just blow it for the heck of it. They seem to do it on purpose and hold it for as long as they can/want. We need this issue resolved asap!!!
These people wouldn't want to be kept up in their neighborhoods, so why must we!
Please heed and understand our position living in downtown.
Name: Blake Brown
Residence: Park Place
Date: Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Time: 02:09:32 PM
 
I would like to suggest that Trains in urban environments when traveling less then 10 miles an hour do not need to sound a horn as loud as it would when traveling 70 miles an hour. It seems to me that the "loudness" of the horn should be proportional to the train’s stopping distance as well as the time it will take for the train to enter an intersection.
Stopping distance:
There is no reason for people on the far side of Coronado (miles away) to know that a train is approaching an intersection in San Diego and going to take a little more then 100-200 yards to stop.
Time until train enters intersection:
For instance, if you wanted to warn that the train was going to enter an intersection a minute later; at 70 miles an hour the horn should be heard over a mile away (or further to allow the train time to stop). However at 10 miles an hour or less, only a couple or three city blocks of warning would be sufficient, so the horn’s "loudness" could be for instance only a little louder then a truck horn.
Name: Jeff Herscovitz
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Friday, July 28, 2006
Time: 12:23:30 PM
 
The highlights of the meeting article on this web site fails to mention that a target of Fall 2007 was announced for completion of the crossing upgrades that are required before a Quiet Zone can be established. Of course, those upgrades were promised to us by CCDC at last year's meeting, at which we were told they would be done by June 2006! So who knows when/if we will get a Quiet Zone.
Name: Jerry
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Thursday, July 27, 2006
Time: 08:24:47 AM
 
Seems like things have slowed down since the meeting until last night. At 1:30 am (#4685)this "jerk" was up to his tricks again! Loud/multiple horn blasts! Not light quick hits. And again, No people or cars around! Unbelievable!!
Name:      Jerry
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date:      Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Time:      08:45:56 AM

First off, to the gentleman who made the comment about liking to hear the "train whistles" at night. Well I'm sorry to say that this is not a whistle but a very loud Air Horn. Anyone who likes to listen to an air horn has a screw loose! Also, I have a friend who is planning on visting. He knows all about the train noise. He wishes to stay Downtown but does not to be disturbed from this noise in the middle of the night. Can anyone suggest any Nice Hotels downtown where this noise will not wake him? I cannot. What a shame!
 
Name: Martin
Residence: Bella Via
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Time: 10:55:47 PM
 
I found out about your website on the local news last night. Thank you for running it.
If the rail companies and/or federal regulators are not willing to cooperate with this cause perhaps another tact is warranted: Hit them in the pocketbook. There must be a way to restrict their movement through the city. Orange County does it with airplanes and everyone complies. Just a thought.
Name: Steve
Residence: Horizons
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Time: 08:56:45 PM
 
I feel the need to reply to a few previous posts . . .
 
Mike Barrit,
I lived in Manhattan for five years. Its a noisy place, but there are no sounds anywhere near as loud as what we are dealing with here. When is the last time you saw a freight train in Manhattan? There are these clever inventions in big cities - they are called tunnels. And another thing, I would never move to Carlsbad! I'd rather sleep with a marching band in my room than put up with the traffic on the I-5 in North County. If that is where you live, that would explain your anger and hostility.
 
Rickbrazda,
Our windows are double-paned. The train horns come right through as if the windows were open.
From: Mike Barrit
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 2:49 PM
 
I live in little Italy, and my office is located in east village, so I'm no stranger to the noise.
however before moving to San Diego 7 months ago I lived in hell's kitchen (affectionately referred to as "Clinton" nowadays) and was raised in the same neighborhood throughout the 80's, the very close proximity to the train yards and the port authority made that one of the last neighborhoods to be invaded and gentrified, even today it still has a little bit of that "Irish ghetto" charm.
as a New Yorker I've seen this kind of behavior before, I've seen it become illegal to use your horn on your car (even in an emergency) in certain neighborhoods in Manhattan, I've watched Brooklyn get ruined by wealthy people abusing their levels of power, driving out the locals.
and through it all I always against it. you cant make an urban sprawl a suburban paradise . . . it ruins the location. there is a reason why they develop suburban communities.
and honestly, the trains, just like roaches, were there before us and will be here after us. so my frustration comes from people who should have looked out their window and said "wow that's a long span of train tracks all over the place" before putting their deposits down and going into escrow, not improving the lives of 30K people.
I do feel a bit better knowing that the funding is private though, are the bids submitted for the work? what are the possibilities the funding will run out? will downtown be left with unfinished work for months? lot's of questions that make it allot less cut and dry
thanks for your time.
MB
Name: Mike Barrit
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Time: 01:22:56 PM
 
Actually had a question that I forgot to ask before, who will be paying for all of these "improved quiet crossings"?
would it come out of the city budget? our tax dollars for police, fire departments, schools?
or will there be a "downtown tax" imposed, maybe all condos and apartment buildings will be forced to divide the cost amongst themselves?
I know I don't want to pay for you to sleep better at night, and I sure as hell don't want it coming out of money that should be going towards the public school my son attends.
I'll do the research myself as well, but if anyone has the answer immediately, please let me know.
Name: Oside 3
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Time: 07:41:00 AM
 
Don't bother moving to Carlsbad or Oceanside it is the same situation here. The crossings are close together in the downtown areas and the train engineers are merciless. The more you complain the more they hit the horn.
Name: Richard Unger
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Time: 01:48:19 PM
 
the quiet zone should be pursued, but in addition the federal regulations should be addressed. the trolley has the same chance of hurting someone as the train. something has to give...either the trolley or the trains are wrong....we know the trolleys are safe, so the federal regulations are wrong.
the code should be changed. The reasonable noise should only be that within 10 seconds ahead of the train the horn should be at a certain level. when the freight and passenger trains are crawling through downtown, there is no need for the super loud horns. certainly, there is more incremental damage from the horns, than actual physical injury which would result from a horn policy which mimics the trolley.
thanks!
Name: Jack Crivello
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Time: 01:19:21 PM
 
I live in point loma on catalina blvd.
I've been here 48 years, recently I have notice the horns at night when I'm trying to sleep. I can even here the noise from the train tracks. Noise does carry a long way. Good Luck with the quiet zone! J.Crivello
From: rick brazda
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 9:02 AM
Subject: train noise
 
Are all of you people that now live downtown blind?  When you were shopping for your condo, didn't you look out the window and see the train tracks?  If you spend some more money, you could get double pained windows that would block the noise.  Or move to another location.  I like to hear the train whistles at night.
Name: Mike Barrit
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Monday, July 17, 2006
Time: 11:22:14 PM
 
poor yuppies . . . here's a novel idea, don't move to a crowded urban environment if you want it to be quiet and serene.
spend a week living in midtown Manhattan you'll think the trains make your neighborhood sound like a dead zone.
million dollar "lofts" don't give you the entitlement to bitch about noise, suck it up or move to Carlsbad.
Name: Dave Giese
Residence: Other - Please specify
Date: Monday, July 17, 2006
Time: 08:14:21 PM
 
Very annoying at 2 and 3am in Rose Canyon at I-5 and La Jolla Colony Dr./Gilman Dr. (Condos)
Thanks for letting me vent!!
Name: Steve
Residence: Horizons
Date: Monday, July 17, 2006
Time: 02:12:18 PM
 
For those of you going to the meeting tonight (I can't), please make sure the railroad and the city understand it isn't just about sleep for the residents. Freight trains going through our city (a city that is supposed to be modern and cosmopolitan) is an embarrassment to all of us. Freight trains blocking streets and blaring horns may be ok for rural areas in the middle of Nebraska but not for a big city. The noise is irritating at all times of the day to all of us (office workers, homeowners, tourists, convention goers) and its bad for business. The trains either need to go underground or be re-routed away from downtown. Either alternative would be expensive, but its about time this city started thinking and acting like the big 21st century city it wants to be. This nonsense would never fly in NY, Chicago, SF, take your pick . . .
Name: Jerry Zeilhofer
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Monday, July 17, 2006
Time: 01:37:31 PM
 
I have stayed in Little Italy for several years and lately in the Pinnacle Tower on Market and Front. We will not invest our money in a downtown home until the train nonsense is fixed. I am truly sleepless in San Diego and so is my wife. Thanks go get them!
Name: Robert Fox
Residence: Hotel Guest
Email: [email protected]
Date: Monday, July 17, 2006
Time: 07:14:36 AM
 
WAH WAH WAH. Quit your crying you bunch of babies. Try living in a real city with a real urban core. Downtown San Diego is nothing but a fake fantasy land. Go to NYC and spend a couple of nights there.
Name: Len Filomeo
Residence: Doma Lofts (Little Italy)
Date: Monday, July 17, 2006
Time: 01:09:49 AM
 
Some of the earlier comments have addressed the relative loudness of the BNSF freight trains as compared to the others. Yet the new FRA Regulations adopt standards for audible warning devices that apply equally to the horns on all trains.
 
The rule reads:
229.129 Audible Warning Device
(a) Each lead locomotive shall be provided with an audible warning device that produces a minimum sound level of 96dB(A) and a maximum sound level of 110 dB(A) at 100 feet forward of the locomotive in its direction of travel.
---------------
This means that the difference between the quietest train horn on the track and the loudest is no more than 14 decibels. In terms of perceived loudness, that's only a ratio of about 3:1. So, assuming that all the engineers are following the rules and sound their horns for 15 seconds prior to entering each grade crossing, the loudest train horn should sound no more than about 3 times a loud as the quietest. This would be worth testing, because it seems to me that the variation is a lot greater.
Furthermore, paragraph (b) of the same rule goes on to state:
 
    (b)(1) Each locomotive built on or after June 24, 2005 shall be tested in accordance with this section it ensure that the horn installed on such locomotive is in compliance with paragraph (a) of this section.
 
    (b)(2) Each locomotive built before June 24, 2005 shall be tested in accordance with this section before June 24, 2010 to ensure that the horn installed on such locomotive is in compliance with paragraph (a) of this section.
 
The operant phrase here is "shall be tested in accordance with this section before June 24, 2010". So there's no need to wait until 2010 to test existing train horns for compliance. The rules permit them to be tested right now to assure compliance with federal regulations!
 
It could be very helpful if the Burlington Northern would measure the loudness of their freight train's horns, using the procedures provided by paragraph (c) of Section 229.129, and adjust them towards the lower end of the federally permissible range.
 
The results of these tests have to be retained and made available to the FRA upon request; the BNSF could also make them publicly available to demonstrate their goodwill to all concerned.
 
For a first hand look at the rules, use the FRA link on the quietzonesd home page to download the "Final Rule".
From: Peter Hobbs
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 8:21 PM
Subject: Re: Union Tribune needs first hand stories
 
I presume you are not trying to document the fact that there is a problem. That fact has already been established. It used to be waking up to the horn blasts might have been several times a week and now it has progressed to at least several times per night. I sent the below thoughts to the port yesterday. Don't know where it will end but it seems to me that we should start there while we are working on the "Quite Zone".
Name: Dr. Bob Stein
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Monday, July 10, 2006
Time: 04:46:28 PM
I can't understand why our city can't put an end immediately to the destruction of the quality of life for thousands of residents and tourists who stimulated by San Diego's redevelopment visited or moved to the downtown area. There are crossbars, lights and bells..why must trains honk over and over again at outrageous hours? Does the city want to preserve home values downtown or destroy them? This is not nuclear physics, it is a plea to support the growth of our urban area and protect the quality of life for those who live, work or visit here. Enough is Enough! Put a quiet zone in NOW. There is no Excuse.
Name: Dani Dodge
Email: [email protected]
Date: Monday, July 10, 2006
Time: 03:09:01 PM
Hi,
I am interested in personal stories about the trains for an article I am working on regarding the Quiet Zone. Please call me at 619-293-1861 before 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 11.
Thanks,
Dani Dodge
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Name: Thomas Miali
Residence: Park Place
Date: Sunday, July 09, 2006
Time: 09:56:01 AM
The frequency of freight trains crossing G street and Kettner hasn't increased in my two years living downtown but the decibel level and duration of train horns has, unquestionably.
What is most disturbing is the inconsistency: on a given day (or early morning) horns are blown in short bursts, and at others so deafeningly loud and long it almost seems the engineers intentionally lean on them to make sure we are all awakened.
At all times however, the freight train noise has become impossibly loud. I have considered just moving to a more peaceful part of the city but have held out waiting for the Quiet Zone promise to become a reality.
Can you provide an approximate for the project to begin? And when I can expect it to reach my part of the city?
Thank You.
Name: peter hobbs
Residence: Park Row
Date: Saturday, July 08, 2006
Time: 12:40:20 PM
I have lived off and on downtown for 20 years. For the last several years the number of trains during the night has increased substantially. The noise has always been the same with each passing train. The problem is that the amount of freight being shipped to and from the Port of San Diego is growing and as LA and Long Beach ports continue to shift their excess traffic down to SD this problem is going to only get worse not better. There is no common sense with the sound level of the horns blown by the freight trains. Trying to fight the Feds about their rules is simply idiotic. At night we all know the sounds of engineers who are somewhat sympathetic to the fact that it is 2.00am and the ones that just don't care but they are following the law.
 
The Port of San Diego is the landlord for the port facilities being rented or leased by companies either shipping or receiving goods. Those companies are responsible for the scheduling of pick up or taking delivery of products in the middle of the night. Why can't we demand of the Port that they impose some pressure on their tenants to schedule as few pick up or deliveries in the middle of the night. The problem is going to get worse not better even with the so called "Quite Zones". The mental giants that drive these trains for the most part seem to get some kick out of blowing that horn well and above or beyond the legal requirement.
 
I would like to see some campaign mounted with the Port to have this issue resolved. The income level of the Port from freight is miniscule compared to other levels of rents from businesses on their tidelands. If freight dried up tomorrow they would not miss a step. san Diego gets very little of the freight being delivered. These are goods destined for other areas of the country.
 
Downtown is only going to continue to grow it's residential population and something as miserable as the freight trains is going to ruin the lives of all of us downtown. I say stop having the train wag our lives and have them operate at our convenience. Thanks
Name: Susan
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Friday, July 07, 2006
Time: 09:12:32 AM
Is it too much to ask that BNSF train conductors learn the difference between sounding their horn at each intersection and laying on the horn continually across 15 city blocks? Do we really have to deal with this blatant misuse of the horn until the proposed "quiet zone" is in place? Thanks to the bozo this morning 3:30 AM (July 7th, 2006)...wow, you sure are the man laying on your horn in absolute excess...what a jerk.
Name: Wendy
Residence: Treo
Date: Sunday, July 02, 2006
Time: 03:13:05 PM
Please, please everyone use your digital recorders to record incidents during the day and night. Even if it is just the train noise, you can use that to show how loud they are. Luckily I can see them pass through the intersection from my balcony and have caught several offenders in the past 2 weeks who were overly eager to use their horns. This evidence can be used to show that our collective experiences with the train noise is unjust. Send your video clips, include the date and time of the offense, to the incident report link on this website.
Name: San Diegan Seeking Sleep
Residence: Other - Please specify in the Comments Box
Date: Saturday, July 01, 2006
Time: 09:11:33 PM
I am disappointed with CCDC. You need a course on how to manage expectations. I don't think you have done your homework on this subject and I now have 0 confidence that this will ever be resolved
Name: Gary Peschken
Residence: Horizons
Date: Saturday, July 01, 2006
Time: 01:18:16 PM
There are a number of issues well documented about the many issues regarding this topic, but to my experience the worst is the extremely high decimal level of the whistles! I understand that Horizons is close to the intersections at Front and First St, but since these whistles were designed for long distances, why on earth do they need to sound them at each and every intersection? Combined with the slow speed that these trains cross this area, I think the sounding of the whistles could be limited to once (and of course a much lower decimal level) would be more than enough notice.
 
Some common sense should really be used here. If the whistles were designed for high speed and long distances, doesn't it make sense that at such a slow speed in this area, these whistles really should not be used at all. I understand that is the law, but lets be reasonable and change the law!!
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Gary Peschken
Name: Thomas Baer
Residence: Other - Please specify in the Comments Box
Date: Friday, June 30, 2006
Time: 11:25:12 PM
Train noise applies to Amtrak, Coaster and freight. The Trolley is not an issue.
 
The long term solution is to have separated grades for heavy rail. Put it in a trench with bridges over the tracks. The added benefit is that crossings would never be down to block emergency services, or private auto traffic.
 
And why we're at it, long term, San Diego should work to also put the Trolley in a separated grade. It's an important part of the region and downtown, but the time has come to consider a subway for the Trolley.
Name: scott
Residence: Other - Please specify in the Comments Box
Date: Thursday, June 29, 2006
Time: 04:26:00 PM
My wife and I were considering renting or maybe buying a condo downtown. But after reading about the train noise and being noise sensitive I WOULD NEVER EVEN CONSIDER LIVING THERE! Life's too short to put up with that. It's too bad because downtown is a great area.
Name: Jerry
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Monday, June 26, 2006
Time: 05:05:12 PM
I would like to know who exactly is responsible for the delay. Person or persons. This is, as far as I'm concerned an emergency situation. I was in Point Loma last night and could hear these air horns. Someone please explain why these horns need to be so loud as to hear them in Pt. Loma? Bottom line, what needs to be done to get this problem resolved in the least amount of time?!
Name: Donna
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Time: 02:38:03 PM
This is an extremely sensitive subject which we are all constantly irritable from lack of sleep due to the trains in the evenings and early hours of the morning. But since we began this Sound Off and Quiet Zone website, I have been more aware than ever of the train schedules.
 
I must say, some of the engineers/conductors have been a little kinder the last several weeks, perhaps it is a different crew. I did notice that it is the BNSF freight trains that are the culprit. Today, 6/22 at 11:32am I was on the telephone with a client in Oregon, all windows and doors were closed and we have triple pane glass, when Engine #5398 was continuously blasting the horn so loudly I had to excuse myself from the phone to write down the engine number. I could watch him from our window, and there was no crossing, no street, no one in sight, but yet he could be heard for blocks going South blasting his horn. I realize this is a safety issue, and they are required to sound their horn before each crossing, but there are no cross streets between Ash and Broadway..(A,B,nor C street go through) 4 city blocks....Yet the entire time he was laying on his horn without a single break from Ash Street to Broadway!
 
Now my thinking is perhaps the night engineers are now daytime engineers, switching schedules and now our afternoons are just as noisy as our evenings. Both my husband and I work out of the house, which at times is impossible to do with the obnoxiously loud train noise. We can not open our windows or doors for ventilation because it sounds as if the train is inside our unit.....this is such a disgrace! We have such a glorious city that is being degraded in both value and reputation due to the noise of the BNSF freight trains.
 
Also, we have recently noticed that the late evening, early morning, BNSF trains have a high pitched squealing noise from the wheel contact with the rails of the track which also is disrupting. I am unsure if that is normal or a brake issue, but it too has been a disturbing noise in the early hours of the morning in addition to the blast of the horn.
Name: George T & Sel R Behm
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Time: 11:51:47 AM
We thought this was settled several months ago! The "story" we heard was that the Quiet Zone had been approved but the City had to make some minor adjustments to certain of the crossings then the QZ would take effect. So what has set this back? Is the fault with city officials or the Federal officials? Frankly, since all crossings presently have both lighted gates and bells, just what the devil is the reason for horn blowing. Over application of Fed/NRA rules no doubt.
Name: Glenn Stokes
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Time: 09:00:37 PM
In downtown San Diego, where freight trains travel is around 5 to 15 mph, there is absolutely no reason to use a horn that can be heard over a mile away. As I understand, the regulation requires the freight train horn to sound 15 seconds prior to entering an intersection. Fifteen seconds at 70 mph on the open track (requiring a loud horn to cover the distance) vs 15 seconds in a downtown environment at 15 mph (to cover a very close distance) is two different things. Scores of San Diego Trolleys pass through the same gated intersections each day that the freight trains use and the trolleys sound nothing but a minimal horn that can be heard in the immediate vicinity of the crossing, causing minimum disturbance and successful safety. Even the Coaster Commuter train is not as loud as the freight trains. The "government" that is suppose to be of the people, by the people, and for the people........ISN'T. The government is becoming our enemy on this matter. The "government" is people and they are making a one rule to fit all situations, and this is not logical or fair. BNSF may to some extent be a victim of government rules, but I am not letting them off the hook. I personally witnessed one freight train on the evening of June 5th that sounded it's horn THIRTY TWO (32) long LOUD times as it traveled between Fifth Ave and 1st Street (a distance of less than a mile); and then between about 7:20pm and 8:15pm that same train was stopped and it blocked 5th Ave, 1st Ave, Front Street and G Street. (if it blocked any more streets beyond that I could not see). Compared to global warming, the war in Iraq, the national deficit, the cost of gasoline, inflation, child abuse, etc. etc. this is not an earth shattering problem, but there is no reason to ignore it. So I say, PRESS ON and let's make "the government" (whoever they are), change the rules so that we can get some sleep !!!!!!!!!
Name: Jerry Sciborek
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006
Time: 08:31:55 PM
Wouldn't be a good idea to have a gathering near the tracks with signs, media etc. to get the attention of as many people as possible? There is still a large number of people who are still unaware of this site. We need to take massive action Now! This insanity cannot go on any longer. I must sleep at friends homes so I can get enough sleep to function at work. This is a serious problem.
Name: Stephanie
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006
Time: 07:28:00 PM
I am now sitting in my office 22 stories up at the Grand North. I just counted 22 blasts of the horn 2 seconds apart. How do we find out who these people are? There has to be some kind of monitoring of the free wheeling engineers that pull that string. It you live here you also know that three of the streets directly behind us do not go through from Kettner to Pacific Highway. They end at Kettner. Yet the horns are still sounded even without the possibility of any traffic. Where is the logic?
Name: Jerry Goldstein
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006
Time: 08:42:45 AM
Last night the train at 1:20 with first engine number 7613 was obnoxiously loud. Some thing must be done to stop the idiot that is engineer of this train. I would personally like to speak to a representative of BNSF at once.
Name: J. Dane Morton
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 06:00:24 PM
The train engineers vary as to how long and how often they honk their horns. Some of the drivers honk way too loud and way too long for no reason at all. Thursday nights are among the worst. I'm sure they'd feel the same if someone drove through their neighborhoods and honked their car horns incessantly.
Name: Jan Deelstra
Residence: Marina Park Condos
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 01:41:23 PM
I am sick to death of waking up swearing at the *^$#@%$%%$!!! train conductors! The rush of inger-infused adrenaline keeps me up all night. SLEEP is CRITICAL to my health. I am ready to wage an all out class action lawsuit to get someone's attention. Better yet, maybe we could get the home addresses of the conductors and go wake them every hour on the hour for the next 4 years to see how well they respond to the brutal intrusion....
Name: Lisa
Residence: Brickyard
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 12:50:12 PM
Please, something must be done!! We love living in downtown San Diego, but the train noise at night is becoming unbearable. Imagine being woken up several times throughout the night, cringing as we press our hands over our ears to try to block out the incessant noise – this is no way to live. We keep hearing about a "quiet zone" but it really seems as though the train noise and frequency is getting worse rather than better.
Name: Alexandra Ferrer
Residence: Horizons
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 12:02:06 PM
I do hope all of the letter writing is not in vain. I really do hope our elected officials understand there is an issue here. BNSF thinks that their Engineers are in compliance. Really? They are in D-NILE, and I do not mean a river in Egypt!! So I guess all of us; residents, visitors, tourists etc are just writing this stuff for kicks. What? That is absurd and an insult. Well bring out your cameras, digital recorders etc. YES! That is what I hear convinced them last time. So get the word out downtown, that if you live at the Grande, Park Place, Cityfront, Harbor Club, the MET, etc and have a good view down onto the tracks we must RECORD these *%@$. A picture is worth a.....Lena seems to think her people are in compliance. Where does she put her head every night? Definitely not in 92101.
Name: Leslie Jenness
Residence: Park Row
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 11:40:06 AM
I have noticed in the last few weeks that the train noise is much louder in the early morning hours. Thanks for developing this website.
Name: Terry
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 11:21:01 AM
I see in the BNSF link that the engineers can actually blow the horn the entire time they are moving through downtown due to the distances between the streets and the time they are required to blow the horn. There are 11 crossings and they are req. to blow for 15 sec per crossing or lose their license. Most do not blow for that length of time and we should be thankful for those engineers that don't blow to the max. However, I wondered if anyone knew if the regulations require a Db level for the train horns? How can the trolley use a car horn and the train uses a 150+ Db level horn? they travel at the same speeds and in fact the Trolley moves faster than the walking speed of the freight train.
Name: Mark Katz
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 09:43:42 AM
Awful experience - being awoken in the middle of the night by a ridiculously loud train horn. Why do they need it, the trains are crawling anyways. I'd like them to stop midnight craziness.
Name: Jim Cox
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Time: 06:15:52 AM
I have been two floors underground with probably 2 feet of thick concrete and can hear the train horn. My question is why the intensity of the horn. If crossings are down for autos way in advance before the one train (the freight train which is the only problem), why does it have to be loud enough where you can hear it 5 or 6 blocks away in my unit on the 13th floor with all windows shut? This freight train and especially one particular driver is out to just drive everyone nuts with the not short, but long and sometimes just holding the horn down for the whole block.
Why not put a fund together (contributions from owners downtown) to hire attorneys to change the question the law or get an exception for out downtown. This is the only drawback in our beautiful city.
From: "Christine Gaunt" [email protected]
Subject: train whistles
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 15:54:46 -0700
 
DEAR SLEEPLESS IN SAN DIEGO VICTIMS:
 
I just got off the phone with Lena Kent, Community Affairs Director from BNSF.  Two weeks ago the FRA started auditing the BNSF engineers to make sure they were in compliance with the FRA mandatory regulations which are detailed by Gary Smith below.  If they were even several seconds short of the mandatory 15 seconds before every crossing, they were written up for non-compliance.  A number of engineers were cited, leaving them only one more chance.  Deciding not to lose their jobs by incurring a second infraction and mandatory termination, they began strictly adhering to the number of honks, the number of seconds prior to every intersection and holding the horn button until it lights up to the pre-measured decibel level.  Lena tells me that the engineers realize that this is a very bad situation since the FRA now mandates that they honk almost continuously through all of Downtown San Diego, regardless of whether there are any issues on the tracks or crossings.  On the second time they are caught (and they are being recorded by satellite!) they will be fired from their $100k a year job.  The tapes are being reviewed and they have been told that excessive honking will also prompt action.
 
Lena's frustration is with San Diego's failure to act several years before when we could have applied for a quiet zone.  At that time, Byron Wear decided that the FRA could change their mind on requirements and we should just wait until we had a ruling.  The FRA took several additional years to make this ruling, and at that time the honking was discretionary, unlike today. The City of Placentia decided to go for a Quiet Zone and the FRA subsequently did give their blessing to it.  We could have done the same and in the opinion of Lena Kent, we should do this as quickly as possible since getting the FRA to amend their rules, which are largely unfavorable to San Diego, is most uncertain and a multi-year endeavor, at best.  At that time a Quiet Zone is in place it will again be discretionary for engineers to sound their horns.
 
If we have any video proof of excessive honking beyond what you see is mandated then Lena would like to have that to review.  She has been invited to the public meeting but received death threats in Placentia, for which one man is currently in prison!  She is understandably reluctant to place her young children in the position of becoming orphans.  It is possible someone will be sent in her place to address this on behalf of Burlington Northern.
 
Given this situation, I can understand why engineers would want to err on the side of more seconds of honking, in this rather imprecise process.  Still, there is a huge range in how much they open the horns. They must look at their watches and estimate the number of seconds until they reach the crossings.
 
Moving the train yard south would help in several ways.  The train is going very slow through town due to the proximity of the train yard and needing about a mile to stop.  The blocking of intersections is a big problem and Lena has asked that we report any blockages of longer than 10 minutes and do that right at the time or just after it occurs.  This she can deal with.
 
In summary, we will be held captive to a great deal of train honking noise until we get the Quiet Zones in place.  No local ordinance can super cede a Federal Regulation. This was a different set of circumstances than the last time I investigated in 2004, and I thought you might find it of interest.
 
Christine Gaunt
Marketing Consultant
500 W. Harbor Dr. # 802
San Diego, CA 92101
Cell: 619-250-0747
Off:   619-236-0114
FAX: 619-236-0115
[email protected]
Name: Joe Tatusko & Maureen Kirby
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:52:32 PM
We have noted on many occasions:
- excessive cargo train horn blowing, almost constant
- cargo trains blocking Front Street for up to 45 minutes, i.e. 6/8/06 approx. 7pm
- people walking over the cargo trains blocking Front Street going to and from the Marriott Hotel
Name: Allen
Residence: Pinnacle Tower
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 07:13:11 PM
One way to influence BNSF is through their corporate pocket book. If there is no cargo to pick up or deliver south of downtown the trains won't come. Who are BNSFs customers? Do those customers lease city, county or port owned property? Evict the customer and you've evicted the railroad.
Name: Sharon Tentilucci
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 04:04:05 PM
Please everyone make sure you go to the July 13 meeting at 5:30 about the Quiet Zone!!! Go to ccdc.com and check out the Meetings Schedule and find it on there.
There is a huge community action group growing. Everyone is totally fed up with the train terrorism. Let's get the entire community out to the meeting and show how serious we are about accepting nothing less than the Quiet Zone!
Name: Raye Scott
Residence: Park Place
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 12:45:14 PM
In a neighborhood of million dollar plus condos (and more on the way) and a steadily increasing population, it is absolutely absurd that we have to tolerate the totally unnecessary noise of the train horn in the middle of the night. What a great way to discourage the downtown from developing! Last night, June 12th, the incessant honking occurred twice and roused even the deepest sleepers from their beds. We were told this was going to end with a Quiet Zone and nothing is happening. This isn't a "want" it's a NEED. Can't we please enjoy a good night's sleep in America's Finest City?
Name: Diane Gikas
Residence: Harbor Club
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 12:38:31 PM
Show some respect - we're trying to sleep. When you blow, do it lightly don't blow our brains out and don't hold onto it forever - and for the record we hear you on the first HONK!.........a mile away!!
Name: trudi geniale
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 11:49:18 AM
I have lived in many cities where there are trains and I have never had engineers make so much noise as they seem to do in downtown San Diego. There is no excuse except that I think the Engineers are either jealous or just plain mean to the core. They continue to go through the crossings with their hands on the horn and at 1 to 2 in the morning will wake you out of a sound sleep. I don't understand why it is taking so long for the City and Regulating Bodies to make up their minds to end this.
Name: bruce wallace
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 10:10:55 AM
The train has been even louder and more drawn out in the past month or so. We are going backwards.
Name: David
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 09:14:12 AM
It appears that all of our complaints about the psychopath who leans on his train horn at night are falling on deaf ears (pun intended). As a long time practicing physician, I have determined that there is really only one message which gets attention: lawsuits. Whether a lawsuit directed against the railroad would succeed or not is not really important. It would serve as a nuisance which they could not ignore. I call upon my aggressive and equally aggrieved downtown legal brethren to find a way to mount a legal assault against what obviously must be a tort of some sort.
Name: Alexandra Ferrer
Residence: Horizons
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 09:04:00 AM

Dear Mr. Faulconer:

I have been a downtown resident and property owner for 4.5 years. I live in the Marina District and have been dealing with the same "noises" Brett Schaffter writes about in the letter below. The noise is not noise, it is an assault on the ears and lives of people living in downtown. I cannot imagine that the train, need to be that loud for someone to get out of its way. I am not an expert on trains, nor do I have a pie chart and graphs to tell you the impacts of trains, etc. I know it is over zealous, and it must stop. These last few weeks has been extensively worse, and is constant from Little Italy all the way to Barrio Logan. You can hear the horn coming and going. Up until it passes the Harbor Club downtown to the South Bay. The Freight train is the offender. The trolley does it little "toots" and heads on its way, as does Amtrak and the Coaster. The offender is the FREIGHT train that lays on the horn and lays on it again as they go through town.

When I saw a session on television a few months back, you disclosed that you had a partial interest in Spa Tiki at the base of the Harbor Club. You must know the awful sounds your patrons endure. They are suppose to be at a Spa to relax and forget the outside world, if just for a bit. I am sure the patrons come from all over, whether they are residents, visitors for the Convention or tourists enjoying our beautiful town. This incessant, overzealous horn affects all of us.

I am a real estate agent for Prudential California Realty. I have shown property to clients coming in from out of town, as well as people who move to another building in 92101. The train HORN is constant conversation. I had a gentleman staying at the Marriott in the Marina District. He said that in the 10 days he stayed at the Marriott in the Harbor, the train woke him up 3 nights. Why should the train horn be held down so much that it wakes someone that is on the 22nd floor on the Bay side of the hotel? It is unnecessary and ruining the quality of life of 92101 visitors, tourist, business owners and residents.

This incessant noise not only affects our daily lives with our lack of sleep, it affects our property values and the tourist/visitors who stay in the surrounding hotels for business.

It has been a few days of quiet, but I assure you they will be back.

We know the train was here before us and it is not going to go away. I am asking that the horn be used when it needs to used. Not for the conductors need to use at whim, with the voracity and at the long intervals that they have been used. It is abuse and they are not being reasonable. I look forward to hearing how this is moving forward and what we as a community can do to help the situation. We want to live in 92101without obnoxious, incessant noise at all hours of the day or night.

Respectfully,
Alexandra Ferrer
Name: Rich Gordon
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:55:29 AM
The conductors seem to take great pleasure in being as loud and obnoxious as they can be. The horns begin in National City and continue well past Old Town at FULL BLAST. There is no need for this other than the self-satisfaction of the train crew. There cannot be hordes of illegal immigrants running over the tracks to thwart the efforts of the Border Patrol Agents. The noise is strictly and uniquely to disturb the "quiet enjoyment" of those of us who have chosen to make Downtown San Diego our home.
Name: Selma
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:53:57 AM
The trains BLARE in the middle of the night, multiple times per night, and everyday. Needless to say, they wake me up. It is an annoyance and has the potential to drive market values down. No one wants that for our fine city. Please initiate a quite zone.
Name: Barbara De Witt
Residence: The Grande at Santa Fe Place
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:47:35 AM
Please make the crosswalks safer for pedestrians. And please make San Diego a Quiet Zone so we can eat on our patio, sleep through the night, and not be deafened because we are waiting at the track for a train to pass. There is no reason to blow a train whistle continually at 3:00 A.M when there are no people or cars in sight.
Name: Jim and Anne Pollard
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:46:48 AM
The trains, the trains, the trains!!!! Obviously, we need trains. Unfortunately, the track wasn't built underground years ago. There is ONE engineer who LOVES to wake us. The last time was a recent night about midnight when obviously there are no cars, the lights are flashing and the guard post is down, he sits on the horn CONSTANTLY the entire length of the area from east of ONE HARBOR drive to past the Hilton and beyond. He should be discipline or fired.
The fireworks! Why do we need so many fireworks displays? Who pays for them? They are invasive and represent millions spent each year when it could go for helping the needy. For those who get their jollies from firecrackers, let them buy their own and set them off at home .... out in the hinterland.
Name: Gerald and Miriam Goldstein
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:35:37 AM
We have lived in downtown for nearly five years and never , we repeat never has the train noise been so obnoxious. My wife is total sleep deprivation and is considering a lawsuit against the railroad, city, or whom ever. There is absolutely no reason why in the middle of the night the train engineer or whatever the idiots title is, has to lean on the horn for what seems like an eternity. My wish is to someday confront these guys personally to see exactly why they act as irresponsible as they do. Last night at 1;45 and then again later in the night we were awakened by long blasts of the horn. My grandchildren will not stay with us any longer due to being frightened by this disgrace to common courtesy.
Name: Richard Reed
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:30:01 AM
By the way, we just decided to not locate a rather large convention in downtown only because of the trains. Maybe the hotel industry could also be involved. RR
Name: Richard Reed
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:25:50 AM
It seems to be getting worse. I don't think there is any propose to it. All crossings have bars and bells. If not, we should add them anyway.
Rich
Name: Sandra
Residence: City Front Terrace
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Time: 08:24:28 AM
The train blasts in the middle of the night when we are sleeping are excessive. A quieter single blast would be enough. The sound of a horn honking is enough for a car to warn another car or pedestrian. If we equipped cars with horns that blast as loud as the train simply because we wanted to make sure everyone with a 10 mile radius won't run in front of us, that wouldn't make sense. Nor does it make sense to make long incredibly loud blasts in the middle of the night when one simple, short quick quieter train sound would do. I also think that suspending the blasts and just allowing for the noise of the arms that come down would suffice from say 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Name: Robert Carter
Residence: Acqua Vista
Date: Saturday, June 10, 2006
Time: 05:20:58 PM
The horn noise has gotten worse, and happens later in the evening as well. Why do the trains have to blow the horn for the whole time they are passing through residential areas? I am moving out of the downtown area as a result of this nuisance. I understand the need for safety, but it seems to be a personal vendetta by the conductors. I am not alone in moving either. We are paying high prices, fighting traffic, only to get home and not be able to rest or have a normal phone conversation. There has to be another way, and I hope people find it before the property values drop because no one wants to put up with the excessive, yes, excessive horn blowing.
 
Read what Hotel Guests are saying about the Trains.   
     Add your own comments by Sounding Off
 
Home Page Answers Connections Sound Off Comments Shared Incident Report

Last modified:  Saturday, April 14, 2007 05:44 PM