Officials want to quiet Libertyville, Grayslake rail line

Lake County, Libertyville and Grayslake officials are working together to turn a local stretch of railroad into a quiet zone.

The area is along the Metra Milwaukee District North Line, and includes three rail crossings in Grayslake and four in Libertyville.

County officials must approve the plan because one of the crossings is at Winchester Road, which is a county-maintained roadway.

Increased train traffic and the resulting increase in horn noise have generated concerns and complaints from residents for years, Libertyville officials said in a Jan. 12 memo.

Grayslake officials have wanted to establish a quiet zone along the line since 2003, Assistant Village Manager Derek Soderholm said. One already exists on the Canadian National line through town.

The plan needs approval from the Federal Railroad Administration, which has denied two earlier requests.

"We hope the third one's the charm," Soderholm said.

The federal agency has indicated additional safety equipment is needed to qualify as a quiet zone, according to the Libertyville memo.

As such, local officials want to install temporary safety equipment called delineators on both sides of the crossing. These are flexible obstacles that prevent motorists from driving around lowered railroad gates.

Eventually, officials want to build permanent barrier medians at the rail crossing to improve safety. That work will be done by the county as part of its improvement plans for an access road to its nearby Libertyville campus.

The delineators could cost up to $20,000 to install and maintain, Libertyville officials said. That cost would be shared by the two villages.

Installing barrier medians could cost up to $30,000. The villages would pay for the features.

An intergovernmental agreement between the two villages and the county is needed to proceed with the plan. The villages already have approved the deal.

The county board could vote on the proposal at its next meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. March 9 at the county government center in Waukegan.