by Marjon Rostami - Aug. 12, 2008 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
In Maricopa, it's clear where the housing developments stop and the once-booming city came to a screeching halt when the real-estate market went bust.
Neighborhoods are left unfinished, roads dead-end into dirt and empty houses with For Sale signs line the street.
The Pinal County city about 20 miles south of Ahwatukee grew from about 1,500 people in 2000 to 38,000 today. For those who've stayed through the recent bad times, little things to improve the quality of life have become major lobbying points to the City Council.
Mike Careccia and his wife moved to Maricopa from Florida eight months ago to be near his grandkids. But they second-guess the move every time they hear the train.
"By 8 in the morning, I've already counted 28 horns," he said. "We knew the trains came through here, but we didn't know how bad it would be."
On an average day, about 40 freight trains pass through Maricopa, said Zoe Richmond, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific. That number is about to double. Union Pacific will begin work on a second track through Maricopa this year or in early 2009.
Twice as many trains a day mean at least 1,280 horns blowing at between 96 and 110 decibels as they pass through four crossings over a 5-mile stretch in Maricopa. According to Federal Railroad Administration rules, federal law requires trains to begin blowing their horns 15 to 20 seconds before approaching a crossing and sounding the horn four times as they pass.
Careccia is heading an effort to persuade the mayor and council to approve a quiet zone, where trains could not blow their horns unless there was a perceived danger. Careccia said he hopes the timing of the second track will help push the quite zone through the approval process.
But Mayor Anthony Smith said there is no such plan for the near future. The city budget was passed last month without additional funding in the capital-improvement program that would be required to upgrade crossings, he said.
A municipality has the power to enforce a quiet zone if it meets crossing standards set by the Federal Railroad Administration.
To do that, crossings must be upgraded with a four-quadrant gate system, additional warning lights and a system connected to the traffic signals, Richmond said. A crossing that currently has only one of those safety measures, such as a one-arm crossing, would cost more than $900,000 to upgrade.
Smith said he is in contact with Union Pacific to compromise on a more cost-effective solution for the possibility of a quiet zone within the next few years. Since Union Pacific is already doing some construction on the crossings for the new rail line, which will be parallel to the existing one, Smith would like to see the company help shoulder some of the costs.
Councilman Joe Estes said he is an advocate for quiet zones in the city and that the benefits outweigh the costs.
"As a city, we're looking at ways to save money, but there are things that I think are almost a necessity, especially when they impact the quality of life for so many of our residents," he said. "We've got houses and businesses that back right up to the tracks."
John Donahue said he runs his chiropractic office about 200 yards from the tracks.
"When I have patients on the table and they're supposed to be relaxing, well, they can't when the horn blows right in your ear," he said.
Careccia said the city must focus on quality-of-life issues, and this one is key.
"Maricopa is a diamond in the rough. It just needs to be dusted off a little," he said. "This is my little project, trying to be a champion of the neighborhood trying to do one small thing that can make our lives better."
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