What's an extra $110,000, or so, when it comes to finding a quieter way of alerting people to the 52 trains passing daily through an upscale city such as Del Mar?
Apparently well worth it as city officials this week sounded support for a nearly $277,000 private fundraising effort to replace the current warning mode. Currently, warnings consist of train engineers sounding multidirectional horns 15 to 20 seconds before reaching 100 feet of crossings, as required by federal law.
Fundraisers may face a bit of a challenge since Del Mar officials have pledged not to spend any public money on a quieter horn system and the private fundraising campaign has raised only $12,000 to date. However, raising millions of dollars privately for civic projects is not unheard of at pricey Del Mar.
Transit tracks cut across Del Mar's far western edges as trains travel the coastline between Oceanside and downtown San Diego. Those tracks also intersect pathways from city streets to the magnificent beach.
Federal law mandates warning horns must reach 92 decibels, which is the equivalent of a lawnmower, shop tools or loud truck traffic.
City officials, and residents, have considered alternative warning systems since April. Proposals to install gates and median barriers, or other safety measures, to lessen the need for engineers to sound horns were discarded due to costs estimated at $1 million per intersection for several intersections.
Enter Quiet Zone Technologies, based at Benbrook, near Fort Worth, Texas. Quiet Zone sells a "wayside" horn system placing directional horns at intersections, eliminating the need for train horns except in emergencies.
These quieter horns, when demonstrated for city officials in April, seemed to muffle the noise so it couldn't be heard at nearby residences.
Quiet Zone said it could install the system for $160,000. However, this turned into a moot point when the North County Transit District, which has final say in the matter, said almost $277,000 would be needed.
The increased pricing included an $83,000 contingency fund for possible cost overruns and annual maintenance estimated at $3,000 to $5,000 annually.
The private citizen fundraising committee -- which includes Del Mar Mayor Richard Earnest as well as former mayor, and council member, Carl Hilliard, among others -- had to go back to the sounding board.
An ad-hoc Citizens Wayside Horn Committee met on Monday, July 19, to consider its next move. Members pledged to continue raising funds to meet the new funding challenge.
Wayside Horn Committee members agreed to go to the Aug. 2 Del Mar council meeting to ask officials to accept the almost $277,000 contract required by North County Transit District, provided the money was raised through private sources.
Organizers expressed confidence they would raise the money, citing previously successful fundraising efforts.
Those included raising more than $5.6 million toward an overall $8.5 million 2005 purchase of the Shores property from the Del Mar Unified School District. The property was converted into Del Mar Shores Park.
Also cited were funds raised privately to convert the 1920s-era Powerhouse facility, and surrounding areas, into the Powerhouse Community Center.
