They will vote on a law to punish excessive noise from vehicles and motorcycles

“Awful. Music, mufflers, cars. “Everything is horrible,” said Eva Serrelles, a resident of Washington Heights.

-And that is at any time?

“Any time”.

Noises of all kinds are heard throughout New York day and night and contribute to noise pollution.

Precisely, to reduce the deafening sounds that come from cars and motorcycles, the Municipal Council will vote this Thursday to approve or not legislation that seeks to fine the drivers of loud vehicles.

This involves the installation of noise-detecting cameras, which, similar to cameras that detect speed, would take photos of the license plates of those whose audio is at levels of 85 decibels or more.

The news has been well received by residents of Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, an area overwhelmed by noise.

“Yes, it is a good measure, because that is part of the pollution we are experiencing,” said Carlos McCoy. “They don’t realize that this is harming their hearing and in the future we will have many deaf people here in this city.”

“Well, it’s spectacular, because the scandal is horrible,” said neighbor Belkis.

The cameras would detect loud music, as well as the excessive sound that comes from the mufflers of motorcycles and cars that have been modified – precisely to exaggerate the sound of the vehicle’s engine.

There are already some cameras installed in various locations such as Brooklyn and upper Manhattan and they have been put into rotation thanks to a pilot program. At least 5 of these special cameras are expected to be installed in each county over the next two years.

The exact points are to be determined.

The law is expected to be approved this Thursday and has been promoted by Manhattan Councilman Keith Powers after numerous complaints from residents. We spoke to some and this is how they describe the noise:

“So much so that I usually leave the city to just walk where there is no noise, enjoy nature, enjoy the atmosphere, something that you can’t do here in Washington Heights,” added McCoy.

“It is annoying when you are walking or at home when you hear the noise. It is also dangerous,” Serrelles said.

According to the New York noise code, the noise limit in the city varies depending on the time of day and the specific zoning area.

If this law is approved, the fines would be between $800 and $2,625 depending on the number of offenses.