It was a quiet weekend in downtown Muscatine. Not because of a lack of people or activities, but because it became a quiet zone where Canadian Pacific trains no longer have to blast their horns at every crossing.
The city's Communications Manager, Kevin Jenison, says the quiet zone took effect early Friday and covers about one mile, from the Highway 92 bridge, along Riverside Park, to Hershey Avenue.
He says Muscatine is just the latest city to realize the benefits of quiet - for health because it allows residents to sleep better, and for property values.
"There've been studies that say for every 10 decibels you decrease noise, you get a 5 per cent increase in your property values."
Establishing the quiet zone took about 3 years, working together with the railroad and the Federal Railroad Administration. Safety upgrades were paid for by several foundations but not the city.
Muscatine is the 11th city in Iowa to get a quiet zone, others include Burlington and Fairfield.
