Kirkland fights street racing with new tech

Kirkland is going high tech in an effort to combat street racing. It's the first city in Washington to give special noise identifying cameras a try.

The city's new Street Racing Noise Pilot Program will test "vehicle noise identification cameras" in certain areas of town. Specifically:

• Lake Washington Boulevard Northeast and NE 59th Street near Houghton Beach Park
• Central Way and Sixth Street in downtown Kirkland

“Noise caused by illegally modified vehicles continues to be a concern for many in our community,” Councilmember Jon Pascal said in a press release. “Participating in this innovative study is the first step towards helping the city better address the concerns we’ve heard from our community members over the years. The pilot will also help inform the state Legislature to determine whether state law should be changed to allow local agencies the ability to use this technology to enforce noise laws.”

The tech works a lot like red-light cameras. They pick up excessive noise from the road, take photos and log other data. A police officer can then review that information. Potentially, a citation could be issued. According to the city, the cameras' microphones will be listening for vehicle sounds over the state's limit of 78 dB for cars traveling over 35 mph.

That is all in theory, however. The cameras are experimental at this point and are being operated under a six-month pilot program. During that time, the tech will be tested, but no action will be taken beyond that. The city and its police department will not actually have access to camera photos, therefore it won't be able to follow up with drivers.

In other words, no noise tickets from these cameras, for now.

If the technology proves promising, the city may consider if it could be used to issue citations. That would happen down the road.

Kirkland will post signs within 200 feet of the cameras. The pilot program is slated to begin by Dec. 31, 2022.