APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Excessive noise from vehicles has become a problem in downtown Appleton, drawing attention from advocacy group “Stop the Noise” and now, the mayor’s office.
Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford says the city is working hard to combat the issue.
“Specifically, we’re talking about vehicle noise here,” said Woodford. “Certainly is an issue that can degrade the quality of life in a community.”
First, Woodford worked with Alderperson Martyn Smith to revise sound ordinances, which penalize vehicles for revving their engines or for making noise at excessive levels.
Then, the Appleton Police Department introduced its first two dedicated traffic safety officers over the last four years. They’re also issuing more equipment violation citations to combat vehicles that contribute to the noise.
It’s not about the average Harley rider, but folks making excessive engine noise — which Woodford says is difficult to police this under current state statutes.
“It has taken time to develop the internal legal guidance for our police department,” said Woodford. “And now, we’re starting to see some of these tickets show up in court, and that will be another test as we move forward.”
Smith says more work needs to be done.
“One of the things I heard constantly was the problem with noise,” said Smith, referring to his initial conversations after being elected in 2024. “People talked about [how] their children couldn’t sleep. People had been in a house for 20 years, and the noise has gotten far worse in the last 20 years, and that put an idea that something needed to be done about this.”
Woodford believes their process will mitigate the noise over time.
“We have prioritized this issue and will continue to do so,” said Woodford. “I understand the changes aren’t coming fast enough for folks. This issue didn’t emerge overnight, and it’s not going to go away overnight.”
If this plan doesn’t work, the mayor says then they’ll re-evaluate their options. As far as how much the noise decreases and when it decreases, there’s not exactly a straight-forward answer, but of course, the goal is to decrease that noise.
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