Locomotive horn use in the West Five Quiet Zone will cease at 12:01 AM tonight, February 10, 2011. This includes grade crossings at 2nd and 3rd Streets. This will reduce by half horn blowing that most affects the Santa Fe Neighborhood and to a lesser extent Atchison Village, the Iron Triangle, Coronado, Marina Bay and even Point Richmond. Each crossing requires a minimum of four blasts, so the reduction will be at least 8 blasts, although horn-happy BNSF engineers tend to blow more and louder than they are required to.

The latest schedule for West 6, which includes the crossing at 4th Street and Cutting, will be June of 2011.

Quiet Zones are incremental, but I hope one day we will get them all done.