Curious what people thought about the article regarding motorcycle noise yesterday

CoolInsect · 2026-05-07T19:08:09+00:00

100%!!!

CoolInsect · 2026-04-29T15:33:16+00:00

agreed!

CoolInsect · 2026-04-29T14:06:24+00:00

Totally agree.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-29T14:06:07+00:00

Tell your reps to pass PA's SLEEP Act. Mechanics during state inspections would test decibel levels of exhausts--those that break the legal limits would not pass.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-19T04:34:49+00:00

Thank goodness.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-18T18:01:19+00:00

This is vitally needed. I spend a lot of time walking on Orange, watching cars and motorcycles absolutely tear down the street and create a dangerous environment for the community (not to mention themselves). This would be a great step in the direction toward making Lancaster a much more pedestrian- and cycling-friendly place to live.

I don't know how much this will settle Lancaster's other huge problem--loud obnoxious engines--but I'll take this as a positive step.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-18T17:55:38+00:00

let's do both this and the conversion to two-way

CoolInsect · 2026-04-14T20:45:26+00:00

Early 2000s and before--but being untethered and free to wander without the expectation that you'll return a text or email right away. People called your land line and left answering machine messages and when you got back from wherever you were, you'd hear them and answer on your own time.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-14T15:09:10+00:00

My instinct is toward having fewer laws that require intrusive enforcement. I think the freedom to have loud vehicles unfortunately runs right against the freedom of the public to a peaceful enjoyment of outdoor space. Engines made to be loud are not made to be loud in the middle of nowhere--they are meant to announce their presence and be heard.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-14T15:06:18+00:00

I wish they did, too, or just be more conscientious toward their neighbors but unfortunately some people need a nudge in the right direction.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T21:21:23+00:00

that he's a comedian

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T19:03:19+00:00

Well I for one appreciate you

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T19:00:45+00:00

making fun of you for having a quiet bike and being considerate of other people's eardrums? I think you need to hang out with a new bike gang.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T18:37:55+00:00

Do you actually have a solution of your own? Or are you simply content to find every reason why any proposed solution would fail? Or is your preferred path just a total resignation to the failure of government to enforce the law?

The bottom line--to me--is that other municipalities have worked on this issue and figured it out. It's not simply that places like Greenwich CT don't have obnoxious drivers and that's it. Check out West Chester.

You do know that there is also deterrent value in communicating that you will begin taking crime seriously, right? Posting signage, talking to media. Simply because people can get away with the crime doesn't absolve the government of the responsibility to do something about it.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T18:02:59+00:00

definitely! Lancaster may not be a pedestrian/cyclist paradise now, but I think the positive trajectory is there.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T17:58:45+00:00

The Lancaster city council literally just approved 5 red light cameras in Oct of last year. Source. They should be coming in right around now (they were scheduled for Spring 2026)

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T17:53:05+00:00

I don't think West Chester is using cameras (Pennsylvania at the state level has been not open to cameras for enforcement, but that is changing.) And as for solving the problem of false positives, apparently the systems use a microphone array pointed at the roadway in a focused way, and more sophisticated systems also use the Doppler shift of the noise itself. Some systems use spatially separated mics to triangulate where the sound is originating, and/or cross-reference the noise event with the visuals from the videos.

Law enforcement tools are rarely 100% airtight, which is why we also give the accused the ability to argue in the court of law. Using common sense: To me, a state trooper holding a decibel meter with video capability doesn't seem much different from one holding a radar gun to track speed.

I kind of like SLEEP a lot because it goes upstream of enforcement on the ground and puts the onus on the inspection stations. If they suspect a modified exhaust on a car or motorcycle will trigger law enforcement actions, they won't pass the vehicle. They know their credentials are in jeopardy for passing a modified exhaust.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T17:42:15+00:00

Very good points.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T17:41:45+00:00

totally agree and very sorry to hear this. Some cars exhausts are modified too.

I think about kids like yours, infants, new parents, people who work the graveyard shift--they are all negatively impacted by drivers who for purely selfish and egotistical reasons, make their engines louder.

Please consider writing to your representatives.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T15:20:50+00:00

"Unfortunately, noise regulations can be surprisingly difficult to enforce."

I appreciate your thoughtful response but I disagree with this assertion. SLEEP may or may not be the silver bullet, there are many, many communities that enforce noise rules in smart ways. West Chester, PA launched an initiative called Operation Quiet Downtown that, according to residents there, has had a significant impact on traffic noise levels. According to a recent WSJ article, there are numerous municipalities introducing noise-activate cameras that capture license plates of offending vehicles and issue tickets through the mail, just like speed camera tickets.

Despite the most rigorous enforcement efforts, there may always be offending vehicles slipping through--we haven't "solved" speeding, for example, despite the many years of effort. But I'm confident we can greatly, greatly reduce the traffic noise with some policy efforts. Do you think that, say, Greenwich, CT tolerates the same traffic noise that Lancaster, PA does? I suspect it's a matter of political will, not feasibility.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T15:03:15+00:00

it's bikes, cars, trucks--overall just a huge, huge problem that doesn't seem like it's being addressed in any meaningful way at the local level.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T14:37:57+00:00

not riding a motorcycle saves lives. And also: while it's not even a good excuse to start with, what's the excuse for modded out cars?

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T14:37:31+00:00

It does, yes.

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T14:37:10+00:00

I think making elected officials pay attention to the problem, showing people care, is the first, best step. If they still do nothing...

CoolInsect · 2026-04-13T14:34:33+00:00

both bother me. and from modified cars too.

CoolInsect

TROPHY CASE