Peace and Quiet with a No Horn Zone
It is a beautiful summer night in Brainerd, and I have the windows open while I peacefully slumber in the sweet breeze. BLAaaaaaaST. Now I, along with half of the city, have been jolted awake for the fourth time this night by a blaring train horn. Several nearby cities in Minnesota share this feature of Brainerd and Baxter, highly active train tracks going right through the populated area of town — Sartell, Little Falls and Saulk Rapids. However, these cities all have a no horn zone. This means that the trains cannot blow their horns in the city unless there is a possible danger.
Here is an assignment. Look at a map of Brainerd, and circle all of the areas of town that struggle with low property values, ongoing blight, and all of the challenges that go along with these things. Now draw a line through the train tracks. Notice anything? Almost all of these neighborhoods are a stone’s throw from the tracks, and the residents that live there endure constant disruptive train horn blasts. Instituting a no horn zone is something that only the city can do. This is an obvious thing for the city to do to improve the quality of life for its residents, and to make an overall more appealing city for people to move to and invest in.
I am not claiming that establishing a no horn zone would be simple. It will involve ensuring all of our railroad crossings are up to a high safety standard (something we should do regardless), and will involve Brainerd and Baxter working together and agreeing. In the past, a no horn zone has been proposed, but it has always fallen flat because of these two obstacles. They are not insurmountable. I am confident that with three new faces on the city council and a renewed urgency to improve our city, now is the time we can finally make this a reality.
The city governments of Sartell, Little Falls and Saulk Rapids have been able to pull together to make a no horn zone a reality for their cities, resulting in a more peaceful and desirable city to live, work, and play in. Let’s ask the same of our city government.
Please call your Brainerd and Baxter city council representatives if you agree!
Sarah Hayden
Brainerd
Comments (11)
Add commentTrain Horns
I agree with you 100%, Sarah! I live about 1/2 mile from the tracks, but being up on a slight hill it sounds like the train will come thru my wall. If a person doesn't see flashing lights, bells AND a reflective gate across the road, then maybe they shouldn't be driving.
Spelling
It is Sauk Rapids. Had to get this in before one of the resident spelling cops had a fit!
Trains
(Gonna catch hell for this...)
The trains were there first.
Trains have whistles.
Trains blow their whistles.
I miss the sound of a train rolling through.
When someone get's hit by a train and someone says 'they didn't blow their whistle like their supposed to' I promise not to write I told you so, even if I did.
Really???
You think that train whistles are at the root of Brainerd's low property values and ongoing blight?
This may come under the
This may come under the description "I need something to complain about". Surely someone would know when they
move into a place that there will be trains and the noise
that comes with it. The tracks could be a clue.
Yes, when someone is on the tracks when a train comes by and gets hit because they couldn't hear the horn blow,
then someone dies and there is the lawsuit.
Hmmmmmm, I think this may have happened somewhere before.
Look at the good side, if you can hear the train, you have your hearing.
trains
I bet if you asked 100 people in Brainerd 98 of them would say they don't even hear the trains.
I used to live on Laurel
I used to live on Laurel Street right behind the railroad buildings. I didn't mind the trains. Actually, when I moved away I had trouble sleeping because I was so accustomed to hearing the train.
lol really ?
I've lived in my house for over 16 yrs, located in southeast Brainerd. 90% of the time i don't even notice the trains as they move through town. As a matter of fact, sometimes lying in bed on a late summer night with the windows open, i welcome the distant sound of a train horn as it comes to the first whistle marker. Silly as it may sound, I wait as it comes closer to town, sounding its horn at the 13th st crossing, and so on, slowly fading in volume as it moves on through. Its helped take my mind from whatever it was keeping me awake, allowing me to fall asleep. I believe i'd actually miss the horns if they went silent lol
Thank you
Brainerd Dispatch moderator for removing the mean comment.
-Sarah
Sorry about that Sauk Rapids!
You just seem like you should have an 'L' or else be spelled Sock, which would be cuter. Thanks for catching my typo Dean1961:). Many people that already live by the tracks are quite used to it... but it is a major deterrent for people who would otherwise consider buying in an area, which is the last thing those neighborhoods need. No it is certainly not the only factor that is blighting these neighborhoods, but it is a strong factor, and one we can do something about.
-Sarah Hayden
No horns
People make some good points, but the horns are annoying and no longer necessary. Some sort of signal is appropriate, but a horn you can hear for many miles?
Yes, the trains were here first, but there is no need for horns any longer.
I understand that the Brainerd and Baxter must work together to make both cities 'horn free.' It will be a good test.