<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The Informer last week answered a question about trains running along Sallier and 12th streets at night, noting that federal regulations require trains to sound their horns for at least 15 seconds ahead of each public grade crossing.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">That prompted a couple of readers to ask questions of their own. “Can’t the city get the trains to stop blowing their horns along 12th Street late at night?” wondered one reader. “Who at the port is responsible for scheduling the trains to run so late at night?”asked another.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">City officials said Lake Charles’ noise ordinance exempts horns on trains, which — being vehicles of interstate commerce — are regulated by the state and federal governments. They said the trains must sound their horns at each crossing along the route, which traverses dozens of streets.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Federal rules allow some areas — called quiet zones — to be exempt from the horn regulations. But crossings in these areas must employ safety features such as lights and gates, the installation of which would be too expensive to be feasible, city officials said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">According to the Federal Railroad Administration, Louisiana has only four quiet zones — one in Jefferson Parish, two in Monroe and one in West Monroe.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">City officials noted that the Port of Lake Charles last year took steps to minimize the inconvenience presented by increased rail traffic. Port director Bill Rase said in 2015 that trains wouldn’t run during peak driving periods — 7-8 a.m., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 5-6 p.m.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“We want to have less issues with traffic as possible,” Rase said in March of that year. “One of the issues for the community is the blowing of the whistle, and the other is the traffic. There is going to be some nighttime movement.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Rase said Wednesday that the railroad schedules the arrival of trains and that the Port of Lake Charles “reacts to its contractual obligations with Union Pacific and its customer for the movement of the cargo.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Union Pacific spokesman Jeff DeGraff said the railroad has no fixed schedule for its trains, which “are routed and scheduled based on customer demand and needs, track fluidity and equipment availability.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He said the railroad dispatches trains after taking “into consideration the impacts across our entire system.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Rase said the port and the city “continue to seek relief” on the issue of late-night horns but that “at this time no change to these federal regulations has been made available.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.fra.dot.gov.</span>

<span class="R~sep~AHeadBrief">Goodwill CEO earns about $700K a year</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Does Goodwill’s CEO have a salary of $2.2 million annually?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">According to Goodwill’s latest available federal tax filing, company President and CEO Jim Gibbons earned $712,202 in 2015.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.goodwill.org.</span>

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<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">The I</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nform</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">er answers questions from rea</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ders each Sunday, Monday a</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nd Wednesday. It is re</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">searched and written by</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Andrew Perzo</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">, an</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">American Press</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">staff wri</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ter. To ask a question, call</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">494-409</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">8 and leave voice mail, or ema</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">il informer@americanpress.com.</span>