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The approving body for a quiet zone is the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). However, the other stake-holders (Office of Commissioner of Railroads, WisDOT) have a voice in the process.

1. The next step for the Village is to rate the conditions of each railroad crossing.
   1. The FRA has a mathematical formula to generate a Quiet Zone Calculator Index for each crossing.
   2. The index takes a variety of information into account such as traffic counts.
   3. If the crossing index reaches a certain threshold, it is eligible for a quiet zone designation. 
   4. If not, improvements need to be made. 
      1. Typical improvements are: Installing a “quad gate” or descending barriers on all four lanes of traffic.
      2. If a quad gate is not installed then a median curb needs to be installed to prevent traffic from getting around their barrier into the opposing lane of traffic.

2. After that the next step is for the Village to host a Diagnostic Review Meeting.
   1. The Diagnostic Review Meeting brings all stake-holders together including a representative from the FRA and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.    
   2. They each provide comments on any improvements/changes that would be required.
   3. These are requirements based on the site-specific circumstances of each crossing.
   4. It is possible this group will not have any additional requirements.

3. Once those changes/improvements are in place then the Village issues a Notice of Intent to install a quiet zone. 
   1. The public has 60 days to object.

4. If the Village does not receive any objections, it issues a Notice of Establishment where it sets the date the Quiet Zone will begin. 
   1. The law requires this to be 60 days as well but the local FRA representative generally advises a date that is more easily remembered by the public (e.g. the first of the next month after the 60 days have expired). 
   2. This gives the railroad companies time to enter the quiet zone data into their computers and communicate to their engineers/operators.

Presently the Village engineer believes three of the crossings would receive a compliant index:

• The Kopmeier crossing has quad gates
• The West Wisconsin crossing has a median curb of standard length
• The Forest Grove crossing has a median curb of standard length

The crossing at Oakton could be an issue. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation noted a safety concern at that crossing and installed temporary barriers to prevent certain traffic flows. They are presently exploring a permanent solution. In 2024 the Office of the Railroad Commissioner rejected their proposal for a “Kwik Curb” product to be installed as a median curb extension. As a result, they are working with an engineering consultant to design a concrete extension which would also generate an estimate of probable cost. This is a concern WisDOT could raise at the Diagnostic Review Meeting if it is not resolved before that.

The Village Board will have a proposal for an engineering firm to perform this work on the November 19 agenda. If approved, the engineer estimates it will take 10 to 11 months to complete this work.