Director of Engineering David Dryer says the city wants to focus on the 11 different rail crossings downtown.
"Part of the city's long range goals is to improve the downtown and one of the those items, improve the downtown for walkability and encouraging residential development and businesses and things, it was one of those goals to create a quiet zone through the downtown corridor"
The improvements would include warning time adjustments, and better crossing gates. The goal is to reduce the need for trains to sound their horns, which would reduce noise in downtown Moline.
Dryer says that safety is an important priority when considering the 11 crossings that make up the downtown corridor.
"Their need is based on engineering review about a risk index and what treatments and active safety measures can be implemented most cost effectively that reduce the risk index to a level that the FRA would say 'okay you can create a quiet zone'."
The grant submission dealine is October 4th, but Dryer says improvements would likely not begin until 2024.
Moline hopes to receive around $7.6 million from the Federal Railroad Administration.