File Photo A CPKC train approaches the Central Avenue intersection, requiring it to sound its horn. The City of Minot is pursuing a Quiet Zone that would involve improvements to preclude the need for train horns at CPKC crossings downtown.

Costs that have tripled are threatening to run Minot’s proposed quiet zone off the rails.

The $1 million budgeted by the Minot City Council for 2024 falls about $1.95 million short of what is needed to eliminate the almost continuous sounding of train horns as CPKC Rail trains traverse downtown Minot. City engineering staff recommend another $300,000 for contingency costs, bringing the total project cost to more than $3.25 million.

“I think Canadian Pacific should be responsible for helping us with some of this,” council member Rob Fuller said at Monday’s Minot City Council meeting. “At $3 million, that’s too heavy of a lift and we don’t have any of the money to do that.”

Council member Lisa Olson agreed.

“Three million is too much for us to spend at this point, but I want to leave the option open to see if there are other funding sources,” she said. “It just leaves it on the table, and maybe at some point, there will be an option that works for us. I know that people that live downtown and business owners downtown would like to see this.”

Olson moved that the council change its plans and phase the project, working with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and other entities on possible grants.

Minot initiated its first quiet zone in 2014 along BNSF lines on the west side of Minot. It eliminated 85% of train horns in most of Minot. One BNSF crossing remains in east Minot, near the fairgrounds.

In 2020, the council authorized another look at a quiet zone study to update costs and impacts of a CPKC Rail quiet zone. The quiet zone would affect crossings at the Amtrak station on Third Street Southwest, on Central Avenue and on Third Street Southeast. A crossing at Maple Street is to be permanently closed as part of the flood protection project.

Council member Mike Blessum said he would have found the $1 million included in the 2024 budget difficult to vote for had he been on the council at the time.

“We’re going from 85% coverage to now 90. So, this is a very small incremental adjustment, and at a million dollars it seems iffy. Now at three (million), it seems downright impossible,” he said.

According to the city engineering department, costs have risen because of additional street and sidewalk work necessary at the Amtrak station, a doubling in the cost of railroad signals and the unexpected need to replace street crossing panels at the three locations.

City staff provided information stating that although the quiet zone isn’t eligible for state or federal assistance, certain crossing improvements do qualify for funding.

For instance, the NDDOT and CPKC plan to replace road panels at Third Street and Central Avenue, saving the city nearly $400,000. The condition of the road panel has been a major complaint of motorists using Third Street Southeast.

City Engineer Lance Meyer also said the city can pursue a federal safety grant to install a crossing signal at the Amtrak station at Third Street Southwest, although the low volume of traffic there reduces the chance of gaining an award.

Amtrak is considering improvements that it would fund, including a sidewalk, which could potentially reduce the city’s costs as well.

Meyer said the council could choose to retain the $1 million in the budget to assist with some rail improvements or it can opt to make those funds available for other uses if it no longer wants to pursue the quiet zone.

Blessum said the city could lose ground with a phased approach if costs continue to grow.

However, council member Paul Pitner said it is important to keep the project alive.

“This doesn’t just affect downtown. There are residential areas that are affected by the quiet zone,” he said. “This does affect the community as a whole.”

The council voted 4-3 to pursue a phased project, with Olson, Pitner, Jantzer and Mayor Tom Ross voting in support and Blessum, Fuller and Scott Samuelson opposed.