Last year, the city examined the possibility of initiating the process necessary to create railroad crossing quiet zones for the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Rail Corporation (NIRC) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) corridors in the city. The city’s consultants determined that the cost for creating a quiet zone at each of the three downtown NIRC crossings is approximately $400,000 per crossing with maintenance costs of $10,000 annually thereafter. An engineering study in the amount of approximately $20,000 is also required as a precursor to any design and construction of what is referred to as “four quadrant gate systems.” Similar warning devices may need to constructed for to the UP railroad crossings that would be included within a quiet zone.Given the $1 million plus cost for implementing the statutorily-mandated railroad crossing improvements necessary to create a quiet zone, the city continues to pursue funding sources to assist in the establishment of quiet zones.