Train horns too noisy? The Boise area could get its first railroad quiet zone

For 140 years, the blare of the train horns has been a familiar part of life for Treasure Valley residents.

In downtown Caldwell, the trains announce themselves with a shattering 100-decibel wave of sound. The noise pauses conversations, interrupts performances at the nearby Langroise Center for the Performing Arts, and challenges residents near the tracks to find sleep as an average eight trains pass through downtown each night.

That may be about to change. The Caldwell City Council has just taken two steps that clear the way for the first railroad quiet zone in the Treasure Valley.

This would allow for a series of safety upgrades to the crossings at 5th Avenue, Kimball Avenue, 9th Avenue, 12th Avenue, 21st Avenue, Linden Street and Ustick Road. At each site, the city would install additional safety features designed to make up for the absence of train horns. Those features, required under federal rules, aim to reduce the risk of collisions for both drivers and pedestrians.

If all goes to plan, construction will begin in June with a price tag expected to reach about $240,000.

Like the rest of the Treasure Valley, Caldwell is growing fast. Between 2020 and 2024, the city’s population increased by more than 21%, placing it among America’s 100 fastest growing cities. Responding to the growth, the city has expanded its residential options and is advancing its urban renewal agenda. In a January interview with Idaho News 6, Roger Brooks, an expert on tourism who was hired by the city to develop Indian Creek Plaza, called addition of the quiet zone a “no-brainer.”

Many locals have expressed concern for their safety. Social media posts arguing against the quiet zones have sprung up online, including one post in the Caldwell, Idaho Community and Crime Facebook page. “Noise isn’t going to kill anybody, but a quiet zone could,” one resident commented on a post last month.

“The facts that we were given are that quiet zones improve safety,” Councilman Jeff Williams said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “I have a choice of accepting the data or accepting somebody else’s opinion, and I choose to accept the data.”

In a press release Thursday, Mayor Eric Phillips says the project began under a previous administration, and said he and other elected officials still have questions about safety.

“The council moved the quiet zone project forward with several questions still unanswered,” Phillips said. “I will be requesting several additional safety features as pedestrian safety is of utmost importance to me.”

Federal standards for quiet zones are strict for a reason. Without the horn, crossings must rely on gates, signals and street design to prevent accidents. Mandated safety measures include physical barrier separating opposing traffic, gates blocking all lanes of traffic, and visual indicators like warning lights. The city says it will work with partners and contractors to meet those requirements and will provide updates as the work progresses.

The Federal Railroad Administration maintains that horns may be used in quiet zones in emergencies, or to alert animals, pedestrians and vehicle operators.

But if the project stays on schedule, sometime after June, the sound that has defined those crossings for decades may begin to fade, ushering in a new set of concerns.

This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 4:00 AM.