Albuquerque Launches Pilot Noise-Camera Program with Sorama

The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico has finally activated its pilot noise‑camera program, aiming to curb excessive vehicle noise using technology supplied by the Dutch firm Sorama.

Approved by the City Council in late 2022, the initiative faced procedural delays but is now underway, with three units, deployed based on 911 and 311 complaint data.

Operating much like automated speed‑enforcement systems, the cameras detect noise above legal thresholds, triangulate the offending vehicle amid ambient sounds, capture license plate data, and log infractions, though no fines will be issued during this six‑month trial.

The technology mirrors recent implementations in Newport, Rhode Island, where Sorama’s mobile noise trailers, equipped with dense microphone arrays and license‑plate readers have yielded multiple citations and shown early promise in reducing street‑level noise