Outagamie County, Grand Chute and Appleton are working to reconstruct College Avenue between the Fox River Mall and downtown Appleton. Sept. 9, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Noise is becoming a nuisance in downtown Appleton.
City ordinances have been in place for years, but one group called “Stop the Noise” says it’s having a negative impact on living and working in the area.
“This whole downtown area is transformed in the last few years,” said District 4 Alderperson Martyn Smith, who was interrupted by a bike driving by. “New residences, new apartments. It’s residential in a way that even 10 years ago, it wasn’t. The city is putting so much investment in encouraging people to come down here. And it’s insane to me that we don’t have the basic protections to make life comfortable.”
Here’s the most extreme example so far, from last week:
Smith helped amend the city noise ordinances, which penalizes vehicles for revving their engines or for making noise at excessive levels.
Krissy Bowe with ABATE of Wisconsin — a motorcycle rights and safety organization — says there needs to be a balance.
“Bikers [should] be respectful of our communities that we live in, that we want to ride through,” said Bowe. “But then people also being understanding that… it’s not just bikers making noise.”
Smith and his partner at Stop the Noise, Steve Kuper, agree that it’s not the average biker causing problems, but vehicles and drivers that are intentionally disruptive.
“The noise level can be anywhere quite frankly from 7 a.m. to past midnight,” said Kuper, who lives in downtown Appleton.
And according to Kuper, that means fewer people are out and about.
“Why isn’t our avenue filled with people who are able to sit outside?” posed Kuper.
Stop the Noise believes the city must prioritize the issue first, with enforcement coming after.
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