Manhattan Installs Noise Cameras to Combat Car Rumble

Manhattan’s Upper West Side is installing its first two noise cameras after receiving nearly 25,000 noise complaints this year, primarily targeting car and truck noise. The main issue is illegally modified car mufflers. The cameras activate when detecting noise above 85 decibels from a source at least 50 feet away, capturing license plates to issue fines. Fines start at $800 for the first offense, increasing to $2,500 for repeated violations. The noise cameras, part of a 2021 pilot program, aim to tackle urban noise issues, with more community requests for additional cameras across all five boroughs.