Money for noise mitigation that was part of Frankfort, Ill.'s, settlement with the Canadian National Railway will be used to buy insulated windows and doors for nearby residents, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The village has received a $2.7 million grant for noise mitigation projects from the CN. Village officials have been meeting with residents who live near CN's tracks to determine ways to tone down railroad noise.
One of those ways is the installation of windows and doors that meet specific regulations, according to Trustee Mike Stevens of the Village Board's Land Use and Policy Committee.
The opportunity to install those windows and doors is "available to residents now," Stevens said.
Meanwhile, the village's quest to make its street-level railroad crossings a quiet zone, where train whistles are not sounded, is opposed by at least one resident.
Roger Koenig says he fears a quiet zone could leave the village liable for injuries that occur at crossings.
Mayor Jim Holland said the board is open to hearing opinions, but he said safety is part of a quiet zone. To get a quiet zone declaration, officials must prove the crossing will be safe as a quiet zone, Holland said.
(This item appeared in the Chicago Tribune April 21, 2010.)
