WILLIAMSPORT -- Folks living near a railroad crossing in Williamsport say they are sick of the noise. In fact, people who live near the crossing on Howard Street believe engineers blow the horns on purpose. Several neighbors say they feel like they are being harassed.
Newswatch 16 went to the railroad crossing on Howard Street in Williamsport to find out first-hand how loud and long these engineers blow the horns. Instead, neighbors say what we ended up hearing was very different than what they are used to.
Neighbors waited to hear their morning wake-up call by the railroad tracks near their homes in Williamsport's Newberry section.
"Where is the horn? As soon as she leaves they are going to hammer us today," said neighbors.
Not one engine blew its horn or even passed through the crossing. The tracks run by some homes on Howard Street and are owned by Seda-Cog Joint Rail Authority. It’s a public corporation that preserves and fosters rail services in Central Pennsylvania.
Under federal law locomotives must blow and signal when passing through railroad crossings like the one on Howard Street, but neighbors say it's too much.
"Nobody can sleep around here. They lay on their horns, no consideration. We try to talk to someone, but nothing gets done," said Don Fagnano from Williamsport.
Several neighbors signed a petition two years ago, hoping to get the Howard Street railroad crossing closed down. So far there have been no changes.
"It's killing us people out here. People are moving. Make a quiet zone. Do something," said Fagnano.
A quiet zone means more lights and gates would be put up so locomotives would not need to blow horns when crossing. Seda-Cog says the project to add more safety would cost about $250,000 and would need funding from the city.
"What it boils down to is they are busy. They are hiring people. That's fine. That's great, but the people in the neighborhood are getting murdered. We are getting hammered," said Fagnano.
Williamsport officials say they are still considering whether to support a proposed quiet zone along the Howard Street tracks and another set of tracks in the Newberry section. Seda-Cog is expected to speak about the proposal at a meeting later this month.