A north Houston man continues fighting for a quiet zone to reduce train noise after two decades of waiting.
HOUSTON — A north Houston man who has endured blaring train horns since 1992 is still waiting for relief after filing for a designated “quiet zone” nearly two decades ago, highlighting the lengthy and complex process required to reduce railroad noise in residential areas.
Jeffery Pickens, who lives just one block from active train tracks in his north Houston neighborhood, says the locomotive horns are so loud they sound like they’re coming directly into his living room.
“I’m recording this in the house not not outside. This is in the house? I’m sitting here. This is where I’m recording this,” Pickens demonstrated while capturing the deafening sound from inside his home.
The persistent noise has disrupted sleep for Pickens and his neighbors for over three decades.
“This is ridiculous. Five or six trains a day,” Pickens said, describing the frequency of trains that pass through the area at all hours.
In 2005, Pickens and many of his neighbors filed an application with the city to have their area designated as a “quiet zone” for trains. Twenty years later, they’re still waiting for a resolution.
“It’s just like why can’t we have signs where we live at. You know we’re living here,” Pickens said.
City officials previously told KHOU 11 that Independence Heights was awaiting federal dollars to move forward with the project. But adding to the challenge for Pickens, who lives in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, the congressional seat is currently vacant.
“I was told that the request has to come from your congressional district,” Pickens said.
The seat for District 18 has been vacant since former Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death.
“Sheila Jackson Lee was working on this about trying to get things taken care of, and she passed last year and Sylvester Turner said he would take a look at this and try to get it and then he passed on,” Pickens explained.
Houston currently has 13 designated quiet zones throughout the city, but creating new ones involves a complicated and time-consuming process. Houston Public Works explained that establishing a quiet zone requires extensive review and cooperation between city officials and the Federal Railroad Administration. Even after approval, these projects often require substantial funding to pay for safety improvements at rail crossings that allow trains to travel through without sounding their horns.
Despite the decades-long wait, Pickens remains determined to see the issue resolved. When asked about his future plans, he said, “Well keep fighting. I’ve been here like I said since 1992 and we’ve been fighting for ever since and I just feel like somebody’s gonna get something done.”
With no one currently representing the district in Congress, Pickens and his neighbors are left wondering who can help move their request forward.
KHOU 11 reached out to Houston City Councilman Mario Castillo, who represents District H. In a statement, Castillo said:
“The funding for quiet zone projects through the City of Houston has been exhausted since 2019. My office has been in contact with Mr. Pickens regarding his request, and we’re actively working to identify pathways to move this project forward, including potential collaboration with state and county representatives in the absence of Federal representation.
These trains are loud, and when you’re just trying to get a good night’s sleep so you can show up for your job, your family, or your community, that noise can become more than a nuisance, it becomes a quality of life issue. I remain committed to supporting District H residents in seeking meaningful relief from excessive train noise.”
For Pickens, who has spent much of his life pushing for the change, hope remains — but so does frustration.
“I just hope that we can get this done,” he said. “Done during my lifetime.”
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