Ihave lived within 60 feet of a raucous railroad crossing in the city of San Mateo for 36 years. I experienced years of daily horn blasts and the grinding sounds of steel wheels on steel rails. So, in 2023, when I heard the city planned to initiate a Train Quiet Zone Program — I was all ears. The plan aimed to reduce train noise at rail crossings and, at the same time, increase rail safety.

Now, I’m not one who gets involved with city government, but this time I took action. I went to hearings at City Hall, studied sound acoustics and looked into the details of crossing gates. But the more I studied the subject, the sooner I realized safety was more important than sound. Solve the sound problem — and we’ll solve the safety problem.

So what’s the sound problem?

More than a simple nuisa

See Full Page