In 2006 shortly after Branson Landing's opening, the city of Branson, MO established a railroad quiet zone ("QZ" for short). Quiet Zones are railroad crossings where the locomotive engineer is not supposed to sound the locomotive airhorn unless they believe there is an emergency or disturbance on the tracks at a crossing. Quiet zones claim to have "high tech safety devices", but these devices are literally just medians splitting the lanes so cars can't drive around the gates. Branson's quiet zones are also equipped with "Wayside Horns" which are strange speakers that are supposed to manipulate the sound of a train horn aimed at the road. Waysides sound nothing like train horns, and are completely useless, as they are just here to make noise (unlike actual train horns, which make noise for a purpose: warning pedestrians and vehicles of an approaching train).

I believe the quiet zone was made due to complaints from the nearby hotels and condos due to passing trains at night while people try to sleep. I have noticed being in downtown at night that a lot of people coming to and from bars walk across the Main St. railroad crossing to and from the Landing and Hilton/Convention Center. This is dangerous as some could be under the influence of alcohol. 

Branson, MO is an extremely popular tourist town. Thousands of people cross the railroad tracks downtown every single day. I feel that having trains blowing their horns through the city again would make the rails safer, as people would have better warning of the trains that pass through. 

After all, the railroad was here an entire century prior to the hustle and bustle of downtown Branson. The horns and whistles were never a problem until the time the Landing and Hilton were built.

Please, sign my petition. Thank you.