A city is a living, breathing thing—teeming with life and vibrancy. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and more frequently it’s somewhere in between. It can be quiet, especially in the early morning hours—but as a rule, it’s never completely silent.
One of my deepest childhood sensory memories is the very specific noises that Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses made as they braked at a bus stop. The earliest ones were formed when I was lined up to go to grade school, and the later ones came from living in a basement apartment right next to a stop on the #50 Damen route.
Unlike some riders, I didn’t grow up in a riding family. While there were no doubt cars, buses, motorcycles, and all kinds of vehicles making a variety of noises around me, it was just part of the general symphony of Chicago life. It was background noise.
As a teenager, I usually walked around with headphones on, listening to music—but it was mostly to block out other people more than vehicles. Me and a bazillion other teenagers past and present, I’m sure.
New Proposed Chicago Ordinance Would Establish a Noise Camera Pilot Program
Why am I telling you this? Because in September 2023, a new ordinance was proposed in the Chicago City Council. If enacted, it would amend the existing municipal code of Chicago to set up an “automated compliance enforcement system” for vehicles with mufflers deemed to be excessively loud. The ordinance is titled “Vehicle Noise Reduction Pilot Program,” and would set up noise cameras in a specific area to automatically ticket violators of the ordinance.
The pilot program, which could go into effect as soon as January 1, 2024, would extend through January 1, 2028. Notably, a defined noise limit, such as an acceptable decibel ceiling, is not specified in this ordinance.
Similar anti-noise legislation in other geographic areas (which we’ll get to) has been similarly vague. As to whether that lack of specificity is a choice, people will certainly draw their own conclusions.
What is defined in the ordinance is what would happen in matters of compliance violation. Noise cameras would record audio and video of vehicles, and those found to be noncompliant with the ordinance would receive a warning on first offense.
Any offenses after that would result in an as-yet unspecified fine. The noise cameras would be positioned like speed cameras or red-light cameras. While the exact amount to be paid for violations is not specified, loud exhausts can currently result in a $750 fine within city limits.
Where would the boundaries of the pilot program be? The designated area would be defined by North Avenue on the north, Ashland Avenue on the west, Lake Michigan on the east, and I-55 on the south. If you’re unfamiliar with city geography, see our map for a visual representation of the area. On the other hand, if you are familiar with city geography, these boundaries probably won’t surprise you even a little bit.
Chicago is just the latest in a line of international areas that have explored the use of noise cameras to automate solutions to what some residents view as problematic levels of noise. So far, we’ve seen similar proposals arise in the UK, France, and California, to name a few—and we’re certain that Chicago won’t be the last.
Proponents of this ordinance cite statistics about the harmful effects of noise pollution on human health, while opponents say the ordinance would unfairly penalize poor residents who may not be able to afford car repairs, as well as motorcyclists. These are the same arguments you've seen before, just in a new geography.
What Chicago Residents Can Do
If you’re a Chicago resident, and you want to have your say before this ordinance goes into effect, the Chicago City Council has a handy lookup tool to find contact information for the local alderperson in your ward. Concerned riders living in the city can reach out to them and make their opinions known. We’ll include a link in our Sources to the lookup tool so residents can easily locate that information.
