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<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I (and David Hiles before me) have been working to have the train horns silenced. </FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> To do so, we have to raise the safety of the crossing high enough to have the area declared a quiet </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> zone. Later this year, we are scheduled to get 4-way gates installed. This will be a giant step </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> forward in making the intersection safer. </FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> The Maryland house and senate recently passed bill HB509 that will allow us to install advanced </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> enforcement systems that can dramatically increase the safety of the crossing.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I lobbied hard for this bill, and I am very excited that it passed.</FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> The town council approved adding two street lamps to the crossing, and we are looking into </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> getting special train track lighting to discourage cars from turning onto the tracks (the most </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> common set up to an accident). I also hope to have the sidewalks and curbs improved. </FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Most importantly, I hope to get the council to appropriate funds in next years budget to hire </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> a consultant that specializes in quiet zones to help us thru the maze of regulations.</FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Silencing the train horns will improve the quality of life for us all, and it will make the town center </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> much more attractive to prospective businesses. It may be the single most important economic </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> development item we can undertake. </FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I know that some of you are nostalgic for the sound of the horns. Yet many others find them </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> painfully loud. I hope you won't miss them too badly when their gone! Getting them silenced </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> is a long and difficult project, but we made great headway on it this year.</FONT></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Rob Oppenheim</FONT><br></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Ward One Councilman, Riverdale Park</FONT><br></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> 5902 Cleveland Ave</FONT><br></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Riverdale Park, Md 20737-1930</FONT><br></div>
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<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Home Office: 301 779 1745</FONT><br></div>
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