SYRACUSE — It was December 2015 when the Concerned Residents Action Committee held its last meeting. Since then committee members hired Lawson Fisher Associates, an engineering firm in Mishawaka, to do a traffic count and feasibility study for creating a quiet zone along the railroad tracks going through the Syracuse area.

The committee was supposed to meet Tuesday night, Sept. 20, to review Lawson Fisher’s first draft of proposals, but only George Marlow and George Krabbe attended.

The traffic study was held in late July covering four crossings in the county and four within the town limits of Syracuse. Lawson Fisher’s first draft showed what the risk index is with the trains hitting their horns.

It then looked at how the risk was reduced if alternative safety features such as taller medians or lane dividing poles are used.

Since starting the project, Marlow said “As we kept talking, at least to me, it wasn’t noise. Everything was about safety.” The result was the committee changed its mission statement to focus on safety with the idea if the crossings were made safer, there would be no need for the train whistles.

The Federal Railroad Authority assigns a point value to on safety features at railroad gates. “You can change your point values on risk assessments by how many trains go through, speed, accidents and amount of traffic,” Marlow explained.

Lawson Fisher provided statistical information showing point reductions by making changes at three crossings, at Papakeechie Road, Warner Road and Huntington Street. Photos were provided to the committee showing whether lane dividing poles set 60 feet and 100 feet back from the gate would work.

For most of the eight crossings using lane dividing poles would interfere with the flow of traffic since the crossings are at two lane roads. Using quad gates, which cover both lanes of traffic, would cost approximately $400,000 each.

After reviewing the first draft, Marlow and Krabbe asked Lawson Fisher to do another draft based on more information the men were able to supply. Now the committee needs to get stakeholders on board as well as show the plans to town and county officials to see if they are supportive.

Marlow and Krabbe had a meeting Wednesday morning, Sept. 21, with Syracuse Town Manager Henry DeJulia, Syracuse Police Chief Jim Layne and Turkey Creek Fire Territory Chief Mickey Scott to discuss the proposal.

Grant money is available and Marlow said one issue the committee is looking at is creating two quiet zones, one in town and one in the county, since both entities would be eligible for grant funds.

“We need the town’s people to give us input,” Marlow said. Krabbe believes different areas of town are more affected by train whistles than others. “There’s just too many options right now that have to be worked through to come up with the best solution,” Krabbe said.

The second draft of the feasibility study is due in either October or November. Both Marlow and Krabbe said despite the poor turnout at the meeting, the issue of having a quiet zone is not a dead issue, but it isn’t going to be a quick fix either.