Bayside Lawmaker Helps Pass Act To Curb Loud Vehicles

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — A legislator who represents northeast Queens, including Bayside, just got one step closer to helping his constituents sleep through the night — an objective that's become increasingly challenging for Baysiders during the past year.

New York State Senator John Liu. co-sponsored the "Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution Act," aptly dubbed the SLEEP Act, which passed the state Legislator last Friday. If signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo the bill will ban the sale of devices that make vehicles louder.

The SLEEP Act also aims to increase fines and regulations against motorists and repair shops that specifically modify vehicles to make them noisier — an issue that was increasingly reported amid the pandemic, especially in Bayside, as motorists raced souped-up vehicles through the nearly empty streets.

Currently, people can be fined up to $150 for modifying their muffler and exhaust systems to make their cars or motorcycles louder. This new act would increase the fine to $1,000.

Repair shops will also be more seriously penalized under the new bill, which will require the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to deny or revoke shop licenses to businesses that are caught selling noise-increasing devices more than three times in an 18-month period.

New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., who co-sponsored the bill alongside Liu, described souped-up noisy vehicles as “not only annoying” but also “a quality of life issue, which can contribute to impaired health conditions, such as hearing loss to exposed individuals of all ages.”

This is not legislators' first attempt to regulate driving complaints in the neighborhood.

In April, a bill to cut down on street racing — which was reported more times this past year in Bayside compared to any other neighborhood in Queens — passed the State Senate's Transportation Committee. It is currently in the Senate Committee Rules Committee.

The SLEEP Act will be delivered to the Governor soon, who has not indicated whether or not he plans to sign it into law.