The city would pay Florida East Coast Railway $90,000 to engineer a 24-hour train horn quiet zone in San Marco. Two council committees take it up Monday and Tuesday.

Jacksonville would pay Florida East Coast Railway $90,000 to start engineering a 24-hour quiet zone in San Marco, where trains would no longer routinely sound their horns at crossings.

Ordinance 2026-886 approves a preliminary engineering services agreement between the city and the railroad. The railroad would carry out engineering work and cost estimates for a proposed quiet zone “located generally within the San Marco area of the City,” the bill says.

Two City Council committees take up the bill next week:

  • Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee: 1 p.m. Monday (agenda)
  • Finance Committee: 1 p.m. Tuesday (agenda, item 31)

The full council held the required public hearing Nov. 10 and sent the bill back to committee, the city’s legislative record shows. The council president introduced it at the mayor’s request.

What the $90,000 pays for

The bill does not create a quiet zone. It pays for the first step.

The council’s Research Division summary of the bill lists the fiscal impact as $90,000 for preliminary engineering services. It describes the money as covering “engineering services and cost estimates relative to a proposed 24-hour quiet zone.” The bill puts the Public Works Department in charge of the project.

Neither the bill nor the summary names the crossings that would be included. Neither gives a cost for building the quiet zone itself. The agreement with the railroad is on file with the council’s Legislative Services Division and was not posted online with the bill.

How a quiet zone works

Federal rules set when a train must sound its horn. At a public crossing, the engineer must start sounding it 15 to 20 seconds before the train enters, in a pattern of two long blasts, one short and one long, under 49 CFR 222.21.

“In these quiet zones, train horns would not be routinely sounded,” the Research Division summary says.

A new quiet zone has to meet federal safety requirements under 49 CFR 222.35, including:

  • a minimum length of half a mile of railroad
  • flashing lights and gates at every public crossing in the zone, in place by the day the quiet zone starts

Horns do not go completely silent. An engineer may still sound the horn in an emergency to prevent imminent injury, death or property damage, under 49 CFR 222.23.

What it means for you

  • Nothing changes yet. Trains keep sounding their horns through San Marco until a quiet zone is designed, built and in place.
  • The engineering study comes first. It is meant to show which crossings need work and what it would cost.
  • You can follow the vote. If both committees approve the bill, it could reach the full council at its next meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Frequently asked questions

Is San Marco getting a train horn quiet zone?

Not yet. Ordinance 2026-886 would pay Florida East Coast Railway $90,000 for preliminary engineering and cost estimates for a proposed 24-hour quiet zone in the San Marco area. Horns keep sounding until a quiet zone is actually built and in place.

When does the City Council vote on the San Marco quiet zone bill?

Two committees take it up first: the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, and the Finance Committee at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17. If both approve it, it could reach the full council Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Can trains still blow their horns in a quiet zone?

Yes, in an emergency. Federal rules let an engineer sound the horn whenever, in the engineer’s judgment, it is needed to prevent imminent injury, death or property damage.