SAN DIEGO — Update:
The City of San Diego announced Friday night it has completed the required work and submitted documentation to the Federal Railroad Administration to reinstate the Quiet Zone.
Original story:
The sound of loud train horns in Downtown San Diego and Little Italy is affecting residents who live in the area, some people said they are even losing sleep.
“It’s crazy, Its non-stop,” Downtown Resident Michael Tomko said.
The Federal Railroad Administration suspended the ‘Quiet Zone’ after an inspection revealed a pattern of non-compliance with federal quiet zone safety rules over the past year.
The FRA said in a statement that some of the issues railroad safety inspectors reported are the following:
Not every public crossing within the quiet zone had the required supplementary safety measures conforming to the regulations.
Not all crossings were in compliance with the requirements on highway-rail grade crossings established by the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD), including issues with railroad pavement markings and signage
Paperwork documenting grade crossing inventories and safety devices was incomplete
In the meantime, trains operating through this zone are sounding their horns until those issues are fixed.
“It's impossible to sleep or get anything done with how loud these trains are,” Tomko said.
Michael Tomko lives in the area, he's gotten barely are sleep since the quiet zone became temporarily suspended.
“I haven't had more than like two or three consecutive hours of sleep because I'm trying to sleep from like by the time I go to sleep its four in the morning and that's when the train starts so it's impossible,” Tomko said.
The FRA said the horns are to ensure an acceptable level of safety while the city works on the issues identified.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the city is working with urgency to correct deficiencies and bring the quiet zone into compliance.
“After what, almost two weeks now, it still hasn't happened so I mean it's blowing our brains out down here, Hodges said.
The remaining traffic counts needed to get the suspension lifted will be completed by the end of the month to submit for evaluation. The FRA said it's working with city officials to facilitate the process.
WATCH RELATED: Little Italy, Downtown San Diego 'Quiet Zone' temporarily suspended by federal railroad officials