Octa's transportation blog

New Audible Warning System Provides Train Alerts for Pedestrians

In 2009, OCTA led an $85 million rail-safety-enhancement program that provided safety improvements to 52 at-grade crossings, and made them eligible for quiet zones effectively helping silence train horns in eight Orange County cities. But one problem remained – how to address the pedestrian crossings along the popular beach trail in San Clemente.

Last week, OCTA Chair Lori Donchak and CEO Darrell Johnson joined with local residents and officials at the north end of the beach trail at the Dije Court pedestrian crossing to celebrate the solution to this dilemma – an audible warning system that alerts those nearby of a train’s approach but minimizes noise in the surrounding neighborhood. Warning signals are emitted from granite bollards at each crossing, which eliminates the requirement for the routine sounding of train-mounted horns. However, if an engineer determines there is a safety concern, the train horn will be sounded. Engineers are also required to sound the train horn when there is maintenance or construction activity adjacent to the tracks.

Additionally, pedestrians and bicyclists are warned with flashing lights, bells and gates that come down to block the entrance to the crossing, and exit gates help prevent people from easily walking onto the tracks but swing outward to easily allow for a quick exit. To channel pedestrians to the seven designated crossings, 2,000 feet of fencing was added along the 2.5 mile stretch of trail.

The establishment of the audible warning system was a cooperative effort involving OCTA, the City of San Clemente, the Federal Railroad Administration, the California Public Utilities Commission and Metrolink. Funding was provided from the State Highway-Railroad Crossing Safety Account, Measure M funds, and the City of San Clemente.