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U.S.Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm News

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Statement of U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Norman Y. Mineta Concerning the FRA Rule to Allow Communities to Quiet Train Horns at Crossings

Contact: Robert Johnson
Telephone: (202)366-4570

Wednesday, December 17, 2003 (Washington, DC) For several years, the Federal Railroad Administration has been working to address the impact of train horn noise on communities in a way that improves quality of life for nearby residents without sacrificing safety for motorists at railroad crossings. Tomorrow, the FRA will publish its Interim Final Rule regarding the use of train horns at highway- rail grade crossings. Trains horns are important safety devices, but they can also be a nuisance for residents. This rule means less noise for millions of Americans living near railroad crossings. It gives thousands of local communities the tools they need to quiet train horns while improving safety at highway-rail grade crossings, and provides communities with existing whistle bans the framework for maintaining those prohibitions. I look forward to working with communities as we move to implement this rule next year.

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