Panama City official says notice filed to start federal review for first rail quiet zone

Commissioner Josh Street announced that Panama City has moved a step closer to establishing the city’s first railroad quiet zone for crossings near St. Andrews, saying the city submitted a notice of intent on Jan. 21 to begin the federal review required for the change.

Street said the initiative grew from repeated complaints by residents who live near the tracks about increased late-night and early-morning horn activity. “Many of you who live near the railroad tracks have reached out about train horns, especially the more recent increase in late night and early morning activity,” he said, adding that families reported the noise “disrupts sleep [and] affects their routines.”

A quiet zone is a designated stretch where trains no longer routinely sound their horns at crossings; safety remains the priority and horns would still be used in emergencies, Street said. “We’re getting close on concluding a more than 2 year effort to establish the first quiet zone in the city for rail traffic,” he said.

Street framed the change as a practical, local improvement that complements larger infrastructure work the city is pursuing. He said the notice of intent submitted on Jan. 21 begins a federal review process the city must complete before the quiet zone would take effect, and that the city will share further updates as the process continues.

Street invited residents who live near the tracks to weigh in and provided a city email contact during his message for people to send comments. He said officials will continue to update the community as the project moves forward.

Next steps: the federal review initiated by the notice of intent will determine whether the proposed quiet zone meets required safety and procedural standards; Street did not give a timeline for that review or a target date for implementation.