As work on downtown Muncie quiet zones nears completion, warning signs like this one on Liberty Street are being installed. Staff photo by Keith Roysdon
MUNCIE — With little fanfare, the city is wrapping up work on its long-awaited quiet zone project.
The project, intended to lessen the noise from train horns downtown, was attempted under previous city administrations but it never happened until Mayor Dennis Tyler tied it to the Courtyard hotel project downtown. The city earmarked $5 million for the quiet zone work as part of a larger package that included not only the hotel — still under construction — but a four-level, 400-space city parking garage between the hotel and Horizon Convention Center.
The quiet zone project included not only working with railroad companies CSX and Norfolk Southern on improvements like raised concrete medians and longer crossing arms — to keep motorists from trying to "beat" trains that would be approaching the crossings silently — but also signs bearing the warning "NO TRAIN HORN" that have been erected at the crossings in recent days.
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