Norton to Introduce Bill to Combat Train Noise and Vibration Near Homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – RealEstateRama – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, today announced she will introduce a bill that would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to jointly submit recommendations to Congress on how to reduce train noise and vibration near homes, as well as cost estimates for each recommendation. Train noise and vibration negatively affect residents of the District of Columbia and of communities across the country.

“District of Columbia residents are increasingly contacting me about the negative impact train noise and vibration are having on their health, quality of life, and the structural integrity of their homes,” Norton said. “While trains are a critical mode of transportation, Congress needs to examine whether there are cost-effective solutions to mitigating the harms of train noise and vibration.”

In making its recommendations, the bill would require DOT and EPA to consider train speed and frequency, hours of operations, modifications to tracks and trains, track maintenance, mitigation measures between tracks and homes, and distance between tracks and homes, among other factors. The bill would require the agencies to submit their recommendations to Congress not later than one year after enactment of the bill.

In March, Norton held a community meeting in Deanwood to discuss residents’ concerns about train noise and vibration.

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