Train crossing reconstruction is planned this summer for Atwood St. on 3rd and Longs Peak Aves, as well as on 9th and 17th Aves, and is already underway at 1st and Emery St. This is the first phase of crossing upgrades to allow the train to stop blowing its horn at the upgraded intersections–making a ‘quiet zone’. The train will still blow its horn at 4th, 5th and 6th Aves for now, but intersections at 4th and 6th are to be upgraded (and silenced) next year. 5th Ave, unfortunately, will not be silenced until 2024.
Instead of an upgrade, 5th Ave will be closed permanently at Atwood St. This will be the second east-west closure within our neighborhood as a tradeoff; BNSF requires one RR crossing to be closed before a new one can be made. The City wants to make a complete east-west route through town on Boston Ave, which will create a new RR crossing. The BNSF railway is responsible for much of the construction, and hopefully will comply with the City’s planned timetable (although it is under no obligation to do so). More details about the plan, and the 5th Ave closure, can be seen on The Back Story, a video series. What are your thoughts?
https://longmontpublicmedia.org/video/2021/01/31/the-backstory-on-train-noise-and-quiet-zones-in-longmont/
Historic Eastside Neighborhood Association 