The North End/Waterfront is about to get a bit quieter. In preparation for a City Council vote, the Committee on Government Operations recommended on June 2nd to pass an ordinance regulating the noise levels of motorcycles. This follows a public hearing by the committee on May 26.
The ordinance was introduced by District 1 Councilor Sal LaMattina and calls for an EPA stamp on all approved motorcycle mufflers operating in Boston. The stamp can easily be seen and cannot be removed. Without such a stamped muffler, the biker will be ticketed for a $300 fine. “I’ve proposed an ordinance that I hope will make a small but noticeable improvement in the quality of life for each of us,” LaMattina said in a statement.
Bob Skole, a Lincoln Wharf resident, testified at the hearing and was very positive on the impact it will have on the neighborhood. “This is an excellent measure,” says Skole, “Several other cities have similar ordnances (Denver, CO and Richmond, VA) and it is strongly promoted by the National Noise Pollution Clearing House, an advocacy group (based in Vermont), whose executive director, Les Blomberg, explained the EPA muffler rules, etc., at an earlier hearing, before a committee headed by Councilors Ross and LaMattina.”
As a follow up, the Councilor is expected to introduce an ordnance banning bikes from some streets, such as Hanover St.
Boston’s City Council did pass the LaMattina-sponsored ordinance and the Mayor signed it into law. Police can now impose a $300 fine on motorcyclists whose pipes lack the federally required imprint that they meet EPA noise standards.
It is all I read about and it is great that the "Quality of Life" is being addressed, from a noisy Ice Cream Truck and now Noisy Motorcycles. Next it might be noisy automobiles and stereos. But not AIRPLANE noise, never that.
It is very sad that people living in Beachmont Revere /East Boston’s flight path do not receive the same attention for our "Quality of Life" . Airplanes flying over us almost 24/7 which also set off alarms, emit pollution ALL the time, from May through September while we try to enjoy our summer with windows open for fresh air/summer breezes, watch TV and try to enjoy OUR home after working hard all day, sure we ALL could move and I certainly would if I could, but this is so not fair to us. Our "Quality of Life" does not matter as we deal with the fumes, noise, buildings shaking, or I must be wrong and this does not hurt any of us.
Everyone political knows about it but nothing is ever done. It is not 1 or 2 like most people experience, it is more like 20 in 1 hour and the day is not done, they go one direction then change to the other with other aircraft off to the sides.
Sure I have the motorcycles going by, MBTA close by, casket company down the street that have chemical smells in the air, BUT I would settle (and do) for that if there was less traffic flying over us. Yes I would. All that can be done because it only gets worse is to get out of East Boston, soon I hope soon.
More laws and more restrictions taking away more from the freedoms that America was founded on. Go live in Cuba or a country that still has someone dictate how you live your lives. Such a sad bill here as it just tells people how to live their lives, some know it all on a power spree, so pathetic.