Briefs

County shunts issue of whistle to side track

By Times Staff Writer
Published June 2, 2005

TAMPA - A plan to create "quiet zones" along miles of rail lines in Hillsborough County may not be dead, but it isn't picking up steam, either.

Commissioners voted Wednesday to have the county legal staff meet with officials from CSX, which owns the rail line, and show the company that it isn't following rules governing the duration of whistles near homes in Brandon.

They blow the horn too long, commissioners said. But the board did not opt to refit rail crossings and quiet the trains altogether.

On June 24, a federal rule goes into effect that allows communities to impose zones where trains can't blow whistles. Some Brandon residents living near railroad tracks have spent months lobbying commissioners for such a zone. The board spent $82,000 in an engineering study that concluded it would cost at least $4.6-million to make whistle-free crossings safe. Commissioner Brian Blair said if statistics show accidents increase when whistles are muzzled, he'll oppose quiet zones. "We can't compromise public safety," he said.

[Last modified June 2, 2005, 01:07:17]