GOLDEN TRIES NEW APPROACH TO MOTORCYCLE NOISE
By Tim Anderson
The City of Golden, Colorado, is trying a slightly altered approach to enforcing its noise ordinance when it comes to motorcycles and custom cars this summer.
The West Denver Metro community launched its “Silence Is Golden” program in May, which is designed to involve motorcyclists, the establishments they frequent in Golden—The Buffalo Rose, Wrigley’s and Susie’s—and participants in the Golden Super Cruise in an effort to keep Golden quieter this summer.
According to Golden Police Community Resource Officer Glenn Moore, the program encourages a “Ride and Drive Friendly” approach to motoring in Golden.
“We’ve decided to make an effort to make riding and driving quietly a value everyone shares,” Moore said. “If you have illegal exhaust, don’t draw attention to yourself by making a lot of noise and you could avoid a ticket. That doesn’t mean an individual won’t get a ticket if they’re not trying to make noise, but it’s less likely. This program does not represent traditional efforts of beginning with enforcement. If customized vehicle operators embrace this value by riding and driving community friendly, the police department will not have to gain compliance through enforcement.”
In other words, don’t goose your motor in golden, and the police might be more likely you leave you alone…or, just be considerate of others in the community.
“I’ve had conversations with some of the people who complain about vehicle noise and a lot of other noise,” Moore said. “I tell them, ‘You’re in an urban environment, there’s going to be noise.” If dead quiet is what they want, they’re in the wrong place. There are people and vehicles here, and that means noise sometimes. By the same token, making a bunch of noise with your bike or your car just because you can isn’t acceptable behavior in this setting, either.”
Golden’s vehicle noise ordinance is directly based on one implemented by Colorado Springs several years ago. Moore said Golden Police worked with Colorado Springs Police while developing their enforcement plan. Moore said the “Silence Is Golden” program is based on the “Ride Friendly” program developed in Colorado Springs by police and local motorcyclists.
Moore said he has high hopes for the “Silence is Golden” program.
“I’ve have a lot of good feedback already,” Moore said. “There have been some motorcyclists who’ve told me there are just a few people out there ruining it for everyone else; that those people should be targeted, not the entire motorcycling community. That’s what Silence Is Golden aims to do, if your behavior doesn’t warrant issuing a ticket, we don’t want to issue one. We want to avoid enforcement through traffic citations. That doesn’t mean that if you have an illegal exhaust without an EPA stamp you’re not going to get a ticket, but if you don’t draw attention to that fact, you could avoid one.”
Golden Bar owners who see a high volume of bike traffic seem to support Silence Is Golden, too.
Honestly, I think it’s wonderful,” said Skip Lamont of Wrigley’s (formerly Scotty Dawgs). “They want to make everyone aware of the problem and avoid it, not just write tickets. They’re being nice about it—they’re not being jerks like Denver. Glenn Moore has put a lot into this, and the other officers seem to be on board, so it looks like a good plan. Just follow a couple common sense rules, and have a little respect for others, and there’s no problem. I think it’s great.”
Kenny lee, one of the owners of the Buffalo Rose, echoed that sentiment.
“My feeling is that they’re going to basically leave us alone unless you’re out on the street doing something stupid,” Lee said. “Which if you’re out doing a burnout or rapping up your motor just to make noise or get attention, you deserve a ticket. We don’t want you showing off when you leave the Buff…there’s no need for it. But, there’s always some idiot who thinks he has to do that. I’m all for what they’re doing, and I’ll support the program until they (police) start writing tickets for no good reason. If they start hassling people, my opinion will probably change. As it is though, it’s a good plan, a good approach, and as long as they (police) stick with what they’ve presented, I think it will accomplish what we all want. None of us want people out in front of our businesses making a bunch of noise just because they can.”
