Education remains an option to reduce downtown vehicle noise

It’s getting to be that time of the year. The sun will soon be shining more, Lake Coeur d’Alene will be warmer, and the days will be hotter come summer.

Unfortunately, it also is the time of the year when vehicles in the downtown area get louder. Much louder. The roar of engines, the screeching tires, the belching and blasting of exhaust pipes will soon become the norm day and night. 

This is a problem. It’s a problem for those who live downtown, who work downtown and visit downtown. There have been complaints for years about loud mufflers and revving engines at traffic lights and in traffic, most often on Sherman Avenue, particularly in the summer.

Here is what one visitor recently wrote about their return to Coeur d’Alene, a town she said they have come to love. 

“What shocked us this time was different, but connected. Sherman Avenue was filled with outdoor cafés, families, tourists, and people enjoying the day — yet repeatedly interrupted by motorcycles and vehicles deliberately engineered to produce extreme, explosive noise. Not occasional traffic noise, but aggressive sound used almost as performance and domination of public space. 

“Perhaps locals have become accustomed to it. Visitors have not. 

“What disturbed me most was the contradiction itself: such physical beauty existing alongside an undercurrent of hostility, aggression, and cultural division that feels increasingly visible and normalized.” 

She makes a good point. Downtown Coeur d'Alene is a treasure. Its vacancy rate for space is about 1%. Businesses want to be there and people like to shop and eat there. 

There is, however, no easy solution when it comes to loud rigs. As much as residents may complain, there is little they can do to stop someone from punching the gas pedal on Northwest Boulevard. 

Education is a possible solution.

Now, it may be wishful thinking to believe that just letting drivers know they could be fined for loud engines is the answer, either. Chances are, unless they see a police officer, they will continue to let their engines roar. 

In 2024, the city posted electronic signs on gateways to downtown, Sherman Avenue and Northwest Boulevard, that stated, “$300 Fine For Loud Engines.” Getting that message out helped reduce downtown vehicle noise. 

Then, the City Council approved code changes to reduce vehicle noise and excessive exhaust. Changes spelled out what conduct is prohibited and also that police officers can use their judgment to determine if vehicles and motorcycles are too loud, or if modifications have been made that create excessive noise “to a person of reasonable sensitivities.” 

We support officers who have such authority, but we should not expect this to be a priority for Coeur d’Alene’s finest. They have more important things to do and limited resources to do them. Catching drivers in the act of gunning vehicle engines is asking a lot of them when they have so many responsibilities to keep this community safe. We can't demand police do more. 

State law prohibits excessive or unusual vehicle noise and annoying smoke. It also requires that noise suppression and exhaust systems must be maintained in good working order.

Sounds reasonable. 

Which brings us this: On Monday, June 29, at 12:30, a workshop regarding downtown noise is scheduled in the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Community Room. It will be hosted by Mayor Dan Gookin, Interim City Administrator Ron Jacobson, the police chief, and city department representatives. 

We encourage people to stop in and listen. Perhaps, together, we can tap the brakes on downtown noise.