Silencing the Rails: A Study of the Noise-Safety Trade-off in Railway Quiet Zones, 2023
Published in Working Paper, 2023
Asbtract: I examine quiet zones-established to alleviate noise pollution at railroad-highway crossings while ensuring public safety—in this study as a natural experiment to assess their impact on accident frequency in the United States. Utilizing highway-rail crossing accident data from the Federal Railroad Administration between 1994 and 2023 and employing various estimators suitable for difference-in-differences designs with staggered treatment, I find that the establishment of quiet zones is linked to an increased number of accidents. Although no significant effect is observed on the cost of damaged vehicles, the establishment of quiet zones increases fatalities and injuries. This study underscores policy implications, probing the safety standards and cost-effectiveness of quiet zones, and highlights the potential of emerging vehicle safety technology to mitigate grade crossing accidents.