City of Kent Receives Federal Approval for Downtown Quiet Zone Along BNSF Mainline

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

City of Kent Receives Federal Approval for Downtown Quiet Zone Along BNSF Mainline

Mayor Ralph Announces Milestone at Kent City Council Meeting

KENT, WA - At tonight's Kent City Council meeting, Mayor Dana Ralph proudly announced that the City of Kent has officially received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to establish a Quiet Zone along the BNSF Railway mainline through Downtown Kent. The Quiet Zone will take effect in the last week in August.

The approved Quiet Zone extends from S 259th Street in the south to S 212th Street in the north and marks the culmination of more than 14 years of planning, coordination, engineering work, and advocacy by the City. The designation represents a major milestone for residents and businesses located near the rail corridor.

The approved Quiet Zone includes all eight BNSF mainline crossings at:

• S 212th Street
• James Street
• Smith Street
• Meeker Street
• Gowe Street
• Titus Street
• Willis Street (State Route 516)
• S 259th Street

Train horns remain an important railroad safety tool and are generally required under federal law at public highway-rail grade crossings unless communities meet specific safety requirements. To qualify for a Quiet Zone, local jurisdictions must complete extensive safety analysis and implement approved measures to offset the absence of routine horn sounding.

As part of Kent's Quiet Zone approval, the City completed safety improvements at several crossings that included raised concrete medians, pavement markings, and enhanced signing designed to improve driver awareness and reduce the potential for unsafe crossing movements.

"This is a major accomplishment for our community and something residents and businesses have been asking for over many years," said Mayor Dana Ralph. "I want to especially recognize our Public Works Department for their persistence and dedication throughout this process. Their technical expertise and commitment helped Kent meet rigorous federal requirements and bring this long-standing community priority across the finish line."

The City of Kent Public Works Department led the effort over many years, coordinating technical analysis, engineering improvements, railroad coordination, regulatory compliance, and engagement with federal partners to satisfy the requirements of the Quiet Zone Program.

The Quiet Zone designation will take effect the week of August 24, following completion of required notifications and implementation steps.

Once established, trains traveling along the BNSF mainline within the Quiet Zone will no longer be required to routinely sound their horns at the designated crossings. However, safety remains the top priority. Train operators may still sound horns in emergency situations, to warn pedestrians, trespassers, animals, or vehicles that are illegally on or near the railroad right-of-way, or whenever the engineer believes conditions require additional warning. Train horns may also continue at spur crossings outside of the designated Quiet Zone.

For many Kent residents and businesses, this milestone has been years in the making.

The City thanks Public Works staff and all of the partners who helped move this effort forward. Their commitment helped deliver a meaningful quality-of-life improvement for Downtown Kent while maintaining strong rail safety standards for the community.

About the Quiet Zone Program

The Federal Railroad Administration Quiet Zone Program allows communities to eliminate the routine sounding of train horns at public crossings if approved safety measures are implemented to maintain railroad and public safety. Quiet Zones are designed to balance community quality of life with continued safe railroad operations.