It's mid-summer. The days are long and pleasant. Esplanade residents want to open their windows to catch the cool breezes... and then we remember. The Esplanade, and all the other residential buildings along the Foss, are situated right in the heart of numerous train yards. As bad as the horns, the banging and the screeching can be during the day, it's much worse at night, and for some residents it's virtually impossible to keep their windows open because of the noise.
The noise must be particularly bad right now, because "The Esplanade News" has received no less than half a dozen messages in the last two weeks regarding the trains. People are fired up. However, I'll tell you up front: there is no magical solution here. The trains have been here much, much longer than The Esplanade (see photo below), and they are not going away. Wait, that's not true. The passenger trains actually are going away. (Click HERE for more info.) But I don't think it's really the passenger trains that are at issue here.
I have done a little asking around, a little thinking, and a little research, and below are a few random (very random) thoughts. Spoiler alert: I don't offer any solutions. If any readers have any additional thoughts or information to add, please use the "comments" section at the bottom of this post.
- Historically, it seems like the City of Tacoma and the Foss Waterway Development Authority should have seen this coming when they decided to pursue high-density housing projects between the tracks and the waterway. It would seem as though this is a problem of their creation, and as such they should be enlisted to help find a solution. Speaking of the FWDA, was anyone aware of THIS? Perhaps the new Executive Director should be advised that the train noise is, in fact, a problem.
- It is rumored that Hollander Hospitality (who theoretically might build a hotel south of The Esplanade someday) has been looking into the possibility of building a noise-suppression wall between the tracks and Dock Street. It may be worth someone's time to contact the company and/or the city and see if there is any truth or plausibility to those rumors.
- Some residents feel they have had success contacting BNSF, who has promised to "look into" the issue. The contact person is Gus Melonas at Gus.Melonas@bnsf.com. Perhaps Gus might like to come to The Esplanade for a Q&A meeting. Maybe we could open a couple windows during the meeting.
- After a little research, I found that train noise in residential areas is regulated by (get ready) the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration. Click HERE to see their website regarding train noise - I have not read all of it, but I'm sure it will be interesting reading as you lie awake at night, with your window open, unable to sleep. There are actually regulations for train noise, and also procedures for the establishment of "quiet zones," although I am uncertain if such quiet zones apply only to train horns, or to all train noise.
- Who knew that BNSF has a Facebook page? Ironically, the latest post on their page warns people to stay off the tracks (sensible) and notes that trains are SILENT KILLERS, and that it is hard to hear them coming! Has anyone thought of taking a video in your unit while a train is going by, to show clearly what it sounds like? Social media can be a very powerful tool; I wonder how BNSF might react to such a video being posted to or linked to their Facebook page.
- As long as we are talking about trains adjacent to The Esplanade, let's not ignore the inherent dangers. A woman was killed not two years ago, and I still see people walking on the tracks every day. And don't even get me started on derailment. I know of at least two derailments very close to The Esplanade; thank goodness nothing more serious than grain was spilled, but I shudder at the thought of oil pouring into the Foss Waterway, or even worse, igniting our building into a Towering Inferno (Yes, I remember the cheesy 1974 movie, which I used to think was funny until I looked at the pictures below and imagined the cars spilling burning oil).
So, as promised, I offer no solutions. But as I said to a friend in the building not long ago, I don't believe the train noise is likely to change until it becomes someone's cause, and that person or persons devote time and energy to lobbying BNSF, FWDA, USDOTFRA, and any other acronyms they can find. Change can happen, but it will take work.
I have a few random thoughts about the train noise issue.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I do not understand why the city or the Foss Waterway Authority is responsible for solving the train noise issue. Everybody who bought a unit in this building unless they are visually impaired was aware of the trains and in spite of that, choose to live here. I agree that the noise from the trains is at times very annoying, but the noise from the groups of motorcycles on Dock Street and the 705 vehicles is also annoying. We previously lived in the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle on the 8th floor of a building across the street from a firehouse - much worse noise than the trains. Oh, and buses, cars, motorcycles, drunks yelling and screaming at all hours of the night. Unfortunately, noise is a part of living in the city.
A few years ago BNSF was parking trains with locomotives at 15th Street for up to 36 hours emitting intermittent engine noise for the duration. I complained to BNSF about the the situation and that practice seems to have abated. Although, a short time ago it did seem that the trains were more noisy at night, that does not currently seem to be the case (maybe some of the complaints had an effect).
I think there is a limit to how accommodating BNSF can be as it is running a business that inherently generates noise.
The sound wall -
- I believe that the land that Hollander wants to put the sound wall on is owned by BNSF.
- BNSF needs access to the tracks for maintenance.
- Hollander wants the residents of the Esplande help pay for his sound wall.
- Would the sound wall help that much? Unless it is as tall as the Espalande it would have limited effect. The sound from the trains is reflected off the embankment across the street from the Esplanade like an amphitheater.
Wearing earplugs at night might get better results, faster than trying to get the city or the Waterway Authority to solve our problem.
Charlie Wollitz
I rented 3 years ago here at the Esplanade with eyes wide open to the proximity of the train. At that time traffic was not overly abundant nor noisy. I purchased 2 years ago and since then BNSF now uses my "front yard" (right below my deck) to idle (sometimes for hours). It is sometimes so bad I am unable to clear my condo from the smell of diesel. Once these idling engines begin to move the level of noise and vibration has to be above healthy levels and literally rattles my windows and space and has set off car alarms twice. I have also clocked a tanker going 30 to 35 miles per hour and there is no safety barrier between the train and 2 public bus stops. I have witnessed the transportation company parked in the Esplanade driveway in order to pickup or drop off engineers and they have stopped traffic on Dock street to do the same.
ReplyDeleteI have respectfully asked Gus to please look at idling away from a now busy residential area for both health and safety reasons. I have been in communication with him for more than 6 months to no avail. He has met me at the Esplanade and witnessed 2 engines idling below my condo. This is not what I purchased. The culture I am pushing up against is "we were here first." True, but change has come to Dock Street and health and safety balanced with commerce needs to be addressed.
My hope is to organize those interested in the health and safety of our residential area to approach the City, Foss Waterway and BNSF to address where they idle and acceptable speed and noise levels.
Nancy Lulay
nelulay@gmail.com
I have not lived here long but it apears to me the high pitched squealing noise is a function of the train speed as it passes over the curved sections of track perhaps compounded by the loaded weight of the rail cars. ie: It seems the squealing noise is not present when the train goes very slow. Perhaps others here at the Esplanade could check me out on this as a cause. If the train speed is a factor then perhaps a speed limit could be set by the RR for the area of the curved sections of tracks to control the squealing noise.
ReplyDelete