SALEM — Camp Lake resident Julie Waidzulis approached the Salem Town Board Monday to find out if anything can be done to quiet the train whistles at railroad crossings.

Waidzulis, who moved to the town three years ago, said she is willing to help the town work toward the long-term goal of upgrading crossings and making an appeal to the federal government to designate railroad quiet zones in the town.

“I understand a lot of work has been done already,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure this is still an ongoing project.”

Waidzulis questioned if the town would have to upgrade all of the crossings at once or if it could upgrade one or two and get the audio warning requirements at those crossings changed upon upgrade.

Town Chairwoman Linda Valentine said the town has 12 crossings.

“We, in the town, only control five,” Valentine said. “The county controls seven.”

Valentine said this is an ongoing issue in the town. In recent years the town received quotes of between $150,000 and $200,000 each to upgrade the crossings to the specifications required for a quiet zone.

However, Valentine said all of the crossings would have to be upgraded before a quiet zone would be approved by the federal government.

“We discussed this in budget meetings,” Valentine said. “At 150,000 times five with no guarantee, this is something we didn’t want to pursue now.”

She added if the town spent the money to upgrade crossings under its jurisdiction and the county didn’t do the same, the effort would be fruitless. The federal government would also most likely require Salem to work with Silver Lake and other municipalities along the line to extend the project.

Another concern raised during previous discussion on the issue was the cost of upgrades compared to the number of residents the project would benefit.

“A portion would benefit from it and a portion would not,” Valentine said.