It gives police "an extra tool to get at what is truly a serious problem," said Councilman Alan Gerson
at the hearings last December.
"Today we go a long way toward taking the squeal out of the hogs," Peter Vallone
Jr. said while chairing a final bill hearing in the Public Safety Committee
last year.
Contrary
to the confident statements made by its supporters
at the time, the bill was tabled
after public protests from riders as well as the
American Motorcyclist Association.
But it appears many of the bills proponents are
bringing new life into the bill. The bill has its supporters, most notably from
NoiseOFF, a Queens-based org dedicated to combating
noise pollution.
'This legislation is a necessary step to reduce urban noise pollution,'
the website writes, 'It empowers city agencies to protect the rights and health of New Yorkers. Just one loud motorcycle roaring across the city late at night can disturb thousands of people.'
'Modified motorcycles can reach noise levels in
excess of 100db(a); a level that easily triggers an
involuntary stress response commonly known as
"flight or flight." This results in the secretion of
adrenaline, with ensuing spikes in
cardio-respiratory rates, muscle tension, and
elevated blood pressure. For affected residents, the
never-ending cycle of noise constitutes a serious
health issue,' the NoiseOFF website states.
'I've never personally been a fan of pipes so loud
they're deafening, but the idea of requiring
stickers based on a vague 80 decibel limit seems
Draconian,' Basem Wasef, author of About.com's
motorcycle blog wrote
arguing against the bill
during the controversy in December, 'Surely there's a halfway point where lawmakers and enthusiasts can meet, isn't there?'
