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Guide to the Quiet Zone Establishment Process <br />Public Safety Considerations continued <br />Examples of SSMs <br />Gates with Channelization Devices Gates with Medians <br />Wayside Horns The train horn rule also provides another method for <br />reducing the impact of routine locomotive horn sounding when trains <br />approach public highway -rail grade crossings. A wayside horn may be <br />j installed at highway -rail grade crossings that have flashing lights, gates, <br />constant warning time devices (except in rare circumstances), and power out indicators. <br />The wayside horn is positioned at the crossing and will sound when the warning devices <br />are activated. The sound is directed down the roadway, which greatly reduces the noise <br />footprint of the audible warning. Use of wayside horns is not the same as establishing a <br />quiet zone although they may be used within quiet zones. <br />'Cost Considerations <br />1 <br />The enabling Federal statute did not provide funding for the establishment of quiet zones. <br />Public authorities seeking to establish quiet zones should be prepared to finance the <br />installation of SSMs and ASMs used. Costs can vary from $30,000 per crossing to more <br />than $1 million depending on the number of crossings and the types of safety <br />improvements required. <br />1 <br />Legal Considerations <br />The courts will ultimately determine who will be held liable if a collision occurs at a grade <br />crossing located within a quiet zone, based upon the facts of each case, as a collision may <br />have been caused by factors other than the absence of an audible warning. FRA's rule is <br />intended to remove failure to sound the horn as a cause of action in lawsuits involving <br />collisions that have occurred at grade crossings within duly established quiet zones. <br />6 <br />