It is finally official.  After 5 years of planning, coordination…and waiting, the Ottumwa Quiet Zone has gone into effect as of November 9th.  The Quiet Zone encompasses 7 crossings that run through the downtown area and silences the over 1,200 horn blasts previously heard every day.  Each of the 7 crossings included have been altered to increase safety and to make them eligible to be part of the Zone.  And don’t forget, train whistles can and will be sounded within the Quiet Zone (or anywhere else on the track line) where an emergency or dangerous situation is identified.  

Although it is easy to equate a Quiet Zone with convenience it’s really about safety and economic development and those are two things that the Foundation care a lot about.

A special thanks to the City of Ottumwa for being such a great partner on this project and our friends at SRF who helped us to navigate this complex process.