Douglas County moves forward with railroad quiet zone study
This Douglas County Highway 85 Train Noise Study map covers the area of Castle Pines Village and Sedalia residents and businesses located one-half mile to two miles within the vicinity of the railroad tracks and crossings.
by Elizabeth Wood West with graphic provided by Douglas County Engineering
Douglas County is continuing to work on the U.S. Highway 85 / Happy Canyon Road Quiet Zone Study (Study) and Public Improvements District (PID) to address the unwanted train horn noise in the Castle Pines Village and Sedalia area, but at this time does not have a funding mechanism in place for moving forward with investigation and implementation of the project.
The Board of County Commissioners is actively pursuing the PID to aide in the funding of the design and construction of the required improvements for the quiet zone. A quiet zone designation is used to decrease train horn frequency and noise levels for residents and businesses within the area. The PID will be comprised of the affected residents and businesses in the area that are willing to pay for the study and proposed quiet zone improvements.
According to County Project Manager Sean Owens, staff met with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad officials to identify the improvements needed to create the quiet zone. Once the improvements have been identified, the county will be generating the cost estimate to be used for the PID petitions and subsequent vote to form the district in the fall. The county also hired a survey firm to conduct a phone survey in the quiet zone corridor to gauge local support and help establish the boundaries of the PID.
For technical questions, please contact Douglas County engineering at 303-660-7490 or e-mail. For policy questions, please contact the county manager at 303-660-7401, or visit their offices at 100 Third Street in Castle Rock.
