Solutions Sought for Sunset Motorcycle Noise

Hosted by Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) Area Two representative and realtor Paul Glasgall, the evening turned into a brainstorming session for solutions to a problem that residents have complained about for years.

“There has to be a way that people can live without the roar of motorcycles; it affects the quality of life of everyone,” said Robert Ringler, vice-president of Beverly Glen and Bel Air neighborhood council and chairman of the LAPD West Bureau Traffic Committee. “Cars are required to have mufflers, but it seems that that the majority of motorcycles have modified exhausts and aren’t held to the same standards. It’s almost as if no one wants to find a way to enforce that.”

West Traffic Division Commanding Officer Captain Roland Solano and Officer Martin Barocio, West LAPD Division Captain Evangelyn Nathan and Captain Brian Thomas and three senior lead officers (SLOs), Michael Moore, Chris Ragsdale and Maria Gray all disagreed with his assessment, citing a lack of laws that would support arrests.

Barocio, who has recently replaced motorcycle policeman Chris Smythe, said, “It’s easy to pick out a loud motorcycle, but it’s hard to do that when they are in a group.” He also pointed out that they could not pull over the entire group without some sort of legal reason.

Officials acknowledged that motorcyclists, who generally travel in a group, come from as far away as the Inland Empire. They travel through several police jurisdictions as they drive along Sunset Boulevard, eventually reaching Pacific Coast Highway, before continuing through Topanga Canyon to the Ventura Freeway.

“They [motorcycle riders] are your average Joe Blow citizen,” Ragsdale said. “They are not part of a gang, but belong to a club.”

PPCC president Barbara Kohn noted that it was the noise level of the group cumulatively that exceeded a reasonable level.

“There are no noise laws that regulate groups,” Ragsdale said.

Councilman Mike Bonin’s senior deputy Norman Kulla noted that even if one were found guilty of a noise violation, the consequences were not severe.

Captain Nathan, who agreed with Kulla, pointed out that for years there has been a drum circle at Venice Beach at sundown with 30 or more people routinely drumming, but even with a noise ordinance, it has not curtailed the activity.

Nathan said in the past, LAPD has sponsored several motorcycle task forces, with SLO’s and reserve officers placed along the route to cite violations, such as speeding.

“The majority of helmets have Bluetooth devices so they communicate with each other,” Ragsdale said. “They also send out scouts, so when police officers see a pack of 25 motorcycles, they are all going 35 mph. They know when we’re out there.”

Nathan said that they had also tried using plain-clothes police officers to radio ahead if they saw a violation. “We also used speed trailers that can detect license plates, so if a plate went through that was fraudulent we were alerted.”

But yet, the weekly noise has continued.

“What can be done to change behavior?” Kulla asked.

The officers agreed to speak to California Highway Patrol Officer Leland Tang, who corralled 20 motorcyclists off Ventura Boulevard in August to see if the same thing could be done in Los Angeles. (Palisadian-Post, “CHP Curtails Motorcycles,” page 3, October 17.)

Ringler said he thought there was an ordinance in West Hollywood directed at motorcycle noise and he would check its status, whether it was a law and if it had survived legal challenges.

Officials will look into placing a sign along Sunset that states “Safety Enhancement Double Fine Zone,” which means any ticket given along Sunset will be a double fine. One LAPD officer warned if they put a sign up for cyclists, it would also apply to Pacific Palisades motorists.

A third suggestion was community outreach to motorcyclists. A last suggestion was to place a changeable message sign, such as one in Beverly Hills that reads “Noise and exhaust violations strictly enforced.”