Replication Files: Silencing the Rails: A Study of the Noise-Safety Trade-off in Railway Quiet Zones

Railway quiet zones substitute train horns for alternative safety measures at railway crossings to mitigate noise pollution. This paper examines the trade-off between safety and noise mitigation by using a quasi-experimental research design to estimate the impact of quiet zone establishment on railway accidents and property values. I find that quiet zones are associated with a 1.27 times higher annual accident rate at railway crossings, which significantly increase fatalities and injuries, while property values near railway crossings increase by 11.07% following quiet zone establishment. A welfare analysis suggests that the housing price capitalization of reduced noise pollution exceeds the safety costs.