Montgomery County Council proposes bill that cracks down on excessive car noise

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — A bill proposed by the Montgomery County Council aims to crack down on excessive car noise by installing three noise cameras.

It's an issue councilmembers say they continue to hear from residents about.

“This constant noise, there’s more and more research showing noise pollution is linked to physical and mental health issues in children and adults," said Montgomery County Council Vice President Kate Stewart. "It is linked to depression, heart disease, cognitive impairments and strokes.”

Tuesday, a bill was introduced that would install noise cameras around the county. They are cameras that detect high decibels, then record images of the car making the noise.

The County Council plans to install one on three major thoroughfares.

“Georgia Avenue, University Boulevard, Connecticut Avenue, these are roads that were created to have cars going fast and let me just tell you, folks who tend to modify their cars do that. They drive fast," said Councilmember Natali Fani-Gonzalez. "That’s illegal and I think this effort will allow us to catch them.”

Some neighbors support the idea.

“It’s jarring. I don’t know why they do it, it’s not an appealing sound," said Karla Kristy, who has lived on Georgia Avenue for two years and says she hears engine noise all the time. “I do find it hard to sleep sometimes. People doing wheelies in the middle of the night and there’s loud engines sometimes.”

She says she’d be happy to see this bill pass.

"Whenever I have visitors come over, they always comment on the loud noise outside, which I don’t realize anymore but they do," said Kristy. "I think it would be nice if that didn’t happen anymore.”

It’s a problem Montgomery County councilmembers say, to this point, has been a tough one to solve.

“Modifying exhausts, particularly to make louder noises, is already unlawful and it has just been difficult for us to enforce that law," said Stewart. "By having the noise cameras, we will be able to help our public safety members do that.”

This bill is scheduled to be discussed during a public hearing on Sept 17th at 1:30 p.m.