The train horn negatively impacts the quality of life of many residents throughout the Downtown North and Linfield Oaks communities in both Palo Alto and Menlo Park. For some it interrupts their sleep and for others it interferes with activities requiring focus. This disruption occurs countless times a day and is completely unnecessary due to the gate with a median at the Alma/El Camino intersection; it is impossible not to know a train is approaching when the gates go down and the lights turn on and the intersection qualifies to be a quiet zone because of the gate with a median. In addition the city is not liable for any accidents occurring due to the enforcement of a quiet zone. Because of the significant detriment to quality of life and unimportance of the train horn I propose creating a quiet zone at the intersection as has been done in countless other local communities and nonlocal ones throughout the US as well.

For more information see this presentation and this FRA PDF.