The problem

For years, freight-train horns have disrupted the lives of thousands of Bergen County residents- including people who do not live directly beside the tracks. Horns sound repeatedly, including at night and throughout the week, carrying across neighborhoods, waking families, interrupting sleep, and creating an ongoing quality-of-life burden.

This is more than an inconvenience. Chronic environmental-noise exposure is associated with sleep disturbance, annoyance, impaired well-being, and increased risks of hypertension and ischemic heart disease; excessive noise is also associated with hearing impairment, tinnitus, and cognitive effects. The World Health Organization identifies sleep, cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and cognitive function among the health areas affected by environmental noise.

In 2026, our communities should not be forced to accept routine horn blasting as the only solution when modern crossing protections and federally regulated quiet-zone processes exist. Federal rules generally require locomotive horns at public grade crossings, but they also allow public authorities to establish quiet zones when the required safety conditions and risk mitigations are met.

What we ask

We call on the mayors and governing bodies of affected Bergen County municipalities, Bergen County officials, the Governor of New Jersey, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the responsible railroad operators to:

Begin a formal, public evaluation of every affected crossing and corridor for quiet-zone eligibility.

Develop a coordinated, multi-municipality plan for lawful quiet zones and other approved horn-reduction measures.

Identify the crossing upgrades, funding, engineering work, and timeline required to meet federal safety standards.

Hold public meetings and provide residents with transparent progress reports.

Prioritize solutions that protect rail and road safety without subjecting entire communities to unnecessary, repeated horn noise.

Quiet zones do not eliminate an engineer’s ability to use a horn in an emergency or when safety requires it; they eliminate the routine horn sounding at qualifying crossings. Bergen County residents deserve both safe crossings and the ability to sleep, work, learn, and live without relentless, preventable train-horn noise.

Thank you all supporters! Let's keep spreading the word around Bergen country.

We need a lot more people to make a real impact.