Boise-area mayor stops proposed quiet-train zone in its tracks. What he said

Just seven days after the Caldwell City Council voted 5-1 to approve them, Mayor Eric Phillips has vetoed a pair of resolutions that would mobilize the creation of the first railroad quiet zone in the Treasure Valley.

Phillips issued two veto letters citing “unresolved concerns over safety” as his reasoning for halting the downtown project.

One resolution would have approved the implementation of the quiet zone to eliminate locomotive engineers’ routine use of train horns at seven local crossings. The other would have accepted a contractor’s bid of $238,000 to complete the safety-related changes required for the project. Those include physical barriers separating opposing traffic, gates blocking all lanes of traffic, and visual indicators like warning lights.

The vetoes, announced Thursday, negate both resolutions. In his first veto letter, Phillips said the safety measures to be installed at the sites “do not sufficiently eliminate or offset the risks created by the Railroad Quiet Zone.” In the second letter, he said he is unconvinced that “sufficient mitigation measures, analysis, or assurances have been established to adequately address these risks to a level that protects public safety.”

Diana Register was the only council member to vote against the two resolutions, according to KTVB, which earlier reported Phillips’ veto. The station said she pointed out during the March 25 vote that a feasibility study from 2015 that served as part of the core argumentation for the quiet zone no longer accurately reflects the city’s growth, leaving pedestrian safety in question.

Cost was another key factor for Phillips. The mayor said the project could cost at least $400,000, with additional unknown expenses, and said the city should instead prioritize “more immediate and broad impactful safety improvements,” including sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and lighting.

“Given current and anticipated budgetary constraints … I do not believe this project represents a prudent or necessary allocation of public funds at this time,” he wrote.

Under Caldwell city code, the council may choose to override the veto at its next meeting.

Phillips said he remains open to future proposals but only if they are supported by “clear safety data, community need, and responsible budgeting.”

This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 4:43 PM.