Community members voiced enthusiastic support Tuesday during a County Council public hearing on a proposed bill that aims to reduce vehicular noise emissions by installing “noise camera” devices throughout Montgomery County.
The bill, sponsored by council Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) and councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) with co-sponsorship from the rest of the council, is based on state legislation passed earlier this year by the Maryland General Assembly that was sponsored by Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-Dist. 17), who represents Rockville and Gaithersburg and chairs the Montgomery County House delegation. The state law gives local jurisdictions the authority to establish pilot programs to reduce excessive vehicular noise by implementing a noise abatement monitoring system, also known as noise cameras.
Palakovich Carr participated in Tuesday’s public hearing at the County Council meeting in Rockville to share more details about how the legislation works and to state her support. She said the entire Montgomery County delegation voted in support of the General Assembly bill.
“For anyone in the public who’s listening and might be skeptical of yet another automated technology for traffic enforcement, although this is new technology, emerging technology, it is proven technology,” Palakovich Carr said. “There have been programs in cities around the world that have implemented noise cameras.”
Palakovich Carr cited the example of New York City, which ran a pilot program involving 10 noise cameras in the city that was so successful that it’s being expanded to 100 cameras to be installed over the next few years.
The noise cameras are equipped with microphones to detect and measure degrees of noise. If volume is detected at least five decibels above the standard set by the state, the camera would capture a video of the vehicle causing the noise and a citation would be sent to whoever had registered the vehicle.
If passed, the county bill would establish a pilot program deploying three noise cameras. The location of those cameras would be determined by the county police department, which would be required to notify the public about their presence and display appropriate signage. The pilot program would expire June 30, 2026, unless the General Assembly extends that deadline. The cameras could not be used by police for anything but their intended purpose, in accordance with state law.
While only a handful of community members participated in Tuesday’s public hearing, all said they supported the proposed legislation.
County resident Nell Rumbaugh said she was so pleased about the proposed program that she joked she would pay for a noise camera to be placed on her street.
“This bill attempts to address a much larger problem. I’m astounded by the recklessness on our roads, too,” Rumbaugh. “Exhaust systems are modified to truly mimic the sound of gunshots, and I find that pretty disturbing.”
County resident John Becker said he was frustrated with the level of noise he hears from vehicles at all hours.
“This affects thousands of homeowners, my fellow neighbors and residents and businesses in the area,” Becker said. “What we have here is the opportunity to go ahead and create a model for across the country.”
Under Maryland law, no motor vehicles can have a modified muffler. According to Stewart, the noise cameras would make it easier to enforce this prohibition. An offense would be considered a civil violation and not a criminal charge. A first offense would result in a warning notice to the vehicle owner, according to the proposed legislation, and second and subsequent offenses each would carry a fine of no more than $75. Collected fines can only be used to pay for the pilot program or for public safety purposes including pedestrian safety programs, according to the state law.
According to documents prepared by Stewart’s office, research has found that noise from defective or altered mufflers and exhaust systems can interrupt sleep and create noise levels that prevent communication. The mufflers can also create continuous, high levels of noise, commonly referred to as “noise pollution,” that can lead to health issues including depression, heart disease, cognitive impairments and strokes, according to research.
“The main impetus for our office doing this is all of the concerns that we’ve heard from residents about the excessive noise,” Stewart said when introducing the proposed legislation in July.
While Rockville Mayor Monique Ashton could not attend the public hearing, council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) said she expressed her support and said she would advocate for one of the noise cameras to be placed in Rockville.
The council’s Government Operations Committee is expected to discuss the proposed bill on Oct. 7. A council vote has not yet been scheduled.
