UPDATE: St. Cloud City Council Approves Quiet Zone for NE Crossing

ST. CLOUD - Residents of the Northeast St. Cloud neighborhood have been asking for a Railroad Quiet Zone for years, and now they're one step closer to getting their wish. The St. Cloud City Council approved a Quiet Zone this (Monday) evening for the crossing at 4 1/2 Street Northeast.

Resident Sue Theisen says it's about time.

I've lived in the neighborhood for 33 years and I'm really hopeful that this does pass. There's been so much increased traffic with the trains hauling the stuff to the power plant, and the oil, and all that type of thing. And, it really is disruptive to our quality of life.

The council delayed the project last summer because the center median was proposed to be 80 feet long, which would have impacted the entrance to Pythons Recycling. The new plan shortens the median to 60 feet, which Pythons says they can live with. However, it's not a done deal just yet.

The city still needs a variance from BNSF. If it's granted, the work is expected to be done yet this year. The cost for the Railroad Quiet Zone at 4 1/2 Street Northeast is about $115,000.

A Quiet Zone means the train horns aren't blown on a regular basis at that intersection. But, the engineer still has the ability to sound the horn, if he sees a threat or a danger on the tracks.