The planned Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) District trains will not only be quiet (though diesel-powered), but so will the crossings if cities and counties cooperate.
The new transit district "is spending $12 million on its train crossings to qualify them as quiet zones, where approaching trains may be exempted from blowing their horns", writes The Press Democrat's Bob Norberg. However, the final word will be had by the individual cities and either Marin or Sonoma Counties as they must "apply for to state and federal regulators for quiet zone designation."
SMART is a 70-mile rail and trail project serving 14 stations from Cloverdale in Sonoma County to the San Francisco-bound ferry terminal in Larkspur, Marin County with service scheduled to begin in late 2015 or early 2016. The track will be shared with Northwestern Pacific Railroad Co. freight trains.
Why designate a train crossing as a 'quiet zone'?
"In usual railroad operations, commute and freight train operators are required to sound the horn 15 to 20 seconds before reaching a crossing, with a pattern of two long blasts, a short blast and a final long blast.
The required decibel level is 96 to 110, loud enough to be heard but below ear-shattering."
The $12 million is going toward providing "special crossing gates and traffic islands that are intended to keep motorists from being able to drive onto the tracks. Only the cities and counties, however, have the authority to apply to the state Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Railroad Administration for quiet zone status."
The FRA Train Horn Rule Fact Sheet provides additional information on the requirements for locomotive engineers to blow the horns and the establishment of a "New Quiet Zone".
Further south in the Bay Area, the 50-mile San Jose to San Francisco Caltrain line is no stranger to residents complaining about train noise, as Palo Alto On-line reported on July 29, 2009 and the Mountain View Voice editorialized the following month.
Thanks to MTC-ABAG Library
FULL STORY: SMART looks to put train crossings on mute

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip
Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont