Now that the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package has passed, many are already planning ahead what can be improved in their cities with the new funding.
In San Jose, planners have an unusual idea that would help residents get a bit more rest, and drown out that city noise.
City residents are particularly plagued by train horns, which have been especially bad the last couple of years after Union Pacific Railroad increased the number of trains it has running through the city every day.
With some of the $3 billion that the city is expecting to receive from the federal package, officials are planning on making improvements to the railyards.
Safer railway crossings specifically will help cut down on the noise, said Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who represents San Jose and Santa Clara Counties. "When you do that, you’re able to do something called a quiet zone."
The horns are used as a safety precaution, to warn people that a train is coming, according to Lofgren, who has championed the issue.
"You’ve got the UP (Union Pacific) blowing their horn every 40 minutes all night long, waking people up," said Lofgren.
In order to diminish the need for the horns, safer crossings need to be made, including pedestrian gates and improved signals.
"If the intersection was safe, they wouldn’t have to do that," she said. "People could sleep through the night."
The massive infrastructure bill passed late Nov. 5 after a long, drawn-out process and disagreement between Democrats and Republicans, with the aim to improve public utilities across the country.
Related
