FREEPORT – There is welcome news for Freeport village residents, as the Freeport Town Council voted 6-1 last week to enact railroad quiet zones for the town’s eight railroad crossings.

Within 30 days, trains will no longer blow their horns at the crossings, as recent data from the Maine Department of Transportation revealed the town’s traffic counts fall below limits that require trains to signal on approach.

Due to this recent data, which showed the number of automobiles that interact with the crossings was lower than expected, Freeport will avoid having to install costly safety upgrades to each of the eight railroad crossings in town. It was previously thought by the council that any quiet-zone designation would require a series of additional safety measures to offset the loss of the distinct blare of the train whistle. Estimates for these upgrades were pegged as high as $100,000, Freeport Town Manager Peter Joseph said Monday.

“The ratings can fluctuate and there could be a time when we are above the threshold,” said Joseph. “If that were the case, we would have three years in which to finish the necessary upgrades.”

Despite the lack of a train whistle, Joseph said, residents should still feel safe, as the existing gates will still function at the intersections.

While Freeport has had freight trains come through on an irregular schedule for years, concerns about noise arose in November with the start of Amtrak’s Downeaster rail service, which now makes two round trips through town per day.

Since then, residents and businesses along the tracks have complained about the noise.

“Unfortunately, we do get complaints from time to time,” said Brandon Beckwitch, an employee of the Hilton Garden Inn on Bow Street, where the hotel, located just steps from the train station, has been supplying guests with special kits that include earplugs, a sleep mask, and even lavender spray to help defray the shock of a 6:30 a.m. train whistle.

“It’s good news for everybody that the council did this,” he said.

Under Federal Railroad Administration regulations, all trains are required to sound their whistles when approaching railroad crossings. But those regulations also allow for the establishment of quiet zones, where the trains would be prohibited from sounding their horns, provided the crossing had the proper safety measures installed to prevent collisions between cars and trains.

The months-long debate centered on safety versus quality of life, an issue Freeport resident Jesse Colfer highlighted by telling the council during its July 16 meeting that the 6:30 a.m. train was his “enemy.”

Dick Harris, who lives on Royal Avenue, told the council that if they lived where he lived, they would want to “shoot those people.”

“It’s really outrageous. I’ve lived near train tracks, but these things are horrible. The engines are much louder, they ring the bell almost all the way through Freeport,” said Harris. “They blow the whistle right behind my house and we can hear it over the air conditioner, with the windows closed and in the middle of the night.”

While the council voted to establish the quiet zones, it did so without immediately requiring any additional safety measures to be installed at crossings in town. The eight crossings in question are at West, Bow, East and School streets, and Webster, Hunter, Upper Mast Landing and Fernald roads.

Councilor Rich Degrandpre summed up the thoughts of the council by urging the group to designate quiet zones now, but look at additional safety measures in the future. Councilor Scott Gleeson, who represents District 1, the area most affected by the train noise, thanked his constituents for their patience during the process, and urged the formation of a subcommittee to look at supplemental safety measures.

Councilor Kristina Egan cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns over safety and what she perceived as a lose-lose scenario before the council.

“I’m a little angry that the council has to weigh a severe quality of life impact versus safety,” said Egan. “For me the safety issue remains paramount. The accidents that happen with trains are always grisly and often fatal.”

Joseph said he would send paperwork to the Federal Railroad Administration on July 18 and the sound of train whistles roaring through town would cease within 30 days.

“You all can get your lives back,” District 2 Councilor Sarah Tracy told the assembled residents who supported the quiet-zone designations.

Joseph said he would submit paperwork to the Federal Railroad Administration on Wednesday, July 17. Within 30 days of receiving the forms, the trains would stop blowing their whistles.

“I’m fairly certain we’ll know it when it happens,” he said.