New York City is about to get a lot quieter, or so the city hopes. New noise regulations will go into effect at midnight tonight for the first time in over 30 years. The shushing will be enforced with fines ranging from $70 for an excessively barking dog to thousands of dollars for noisy nightclubs. Is this good policy or just another needless regulation for an over-regulated Manhattan?
From the Gothamist:
A new noise code will go into effect tonight/tomorrow morning when the clock strikes midnight, and that clock better have muffled bells. It's the first comprehensive overhaul of noise ordinances in about 30 years and was proposed by Mayor Bloomberg three and a half years ago. It's mostly oriented towards bars and clubs, where a growing nightlife presence in neighborhoods like the Lower East Side has left many residents sleepless. The New York Times notes that noisy cars and motorcycles will be completely banned from the city, there will be a limit on how long dogs can bark continuously, garbage trucks will be required to stay at least 50 feet from residential buildings between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., construction noise must be mitigated (Adrienne Shelley was killed for complaining about construction noise), and ice cream trucks will have to go quiet when parked curbside. We wonder if this will have any effect on the creative siren-DJ stylings emanating from police cars. Either way, enforcement of the new code may be spotty because the Dept. of Environmental Protection only has 26 noise meters. The police have 80.The New York Post reports that the stricter noise regulations are worrying Mr. Softee truck owners and drivers, whose livelihood is ensured by the incessant jingling siren call that beckons kids on summer vacation to their trucks. The Post's story quotes one ice cream distributor who predicted that the jingle-ban could melt ice cream sales by 30%.
Going after Mr. Softee?? Thats just wrong. The whole thing stinks to high hell. If I wanted a quiet, peaceful and serene existence, I would still be in Arizona, or Connecticut or pretty much anywhere besides Manhattan. I love Manhattan just as it is. I don't even care when the Fire Department leaves their station house behind my apartment. It is a part of the city just like the rest of the noise emitted from thousands of different sources.
Some noise should be regulated however, I like the $350 fines for honking (even though it is rarely enforced) and when someone is ridiculously drunk and acting like an ass, I enjoy some passerby telling him to shut the ___ up. Other than that, give me a break.
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