Any progress in regulating car and motorcycle revving in Sarasota has stalled out in City Hall.
This is unfortunate because it’s the one sound issue that finds both residents and businesses in strong agreement.
Loud cars and motorcycles discourage outdoor eating or strolling peacefully along Main Street, which is bad for our downtown economy and small businesses.
The revving noises also penetrate the homes of downtown residents and anyone in general who lives within three or four blocks of a major road.
Windows are kept shut and white noise machines are used to mitigate these sounds, though not always successfully.
Here's what must be done
What can and should be done?
It’s important to understand that the hands of the Sarasota Police Department are tied because we lack adequate
state and local enforcement laws.
The state of Florida came close to passing a bill that would have prohibited car revving audible from 50 feet away, but the legislation died in reconciliation earlier this year.
The other state statutes regulating various vehicle noises do not apply to car or motorcycle revving.
One statute only prohibits car radios heard at 25 feet, but it is silent on car revving.
Another statute uses maximum decibel limits that do not work for moving objects.
And while there is a statute that does prohibit modified mufflers, it does not take into account that looking underneath a car could be deemed to be an unreasonable search.
However, Sarasota can prohibit car and motorcycle revving in its own sound ordinance.
In fact, former Sarasota City Attorney Robert Fournier proposedadding such a prohibition in January 2025.
It was a straightforward proposal, and it was consistent with what's being done in other Florida communities, including Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Miami Beach, Naples and West Palm Beach.
Unfortunately, Sarasota's city staff currently appears to be content with kicking this noisy can down the road.
It has tasked an acoustics consulting firm to continue to study the issue – but that firm lacks legal or law enforcement experience in taking on such an assignment.
Don't subject residents, tourists, others to this
Meanwhile, the city's delay in taking action will subject residents, tourists, restaurant patrons and small business owners to another season – or two – of unregulated car and motorcycle revving, backfiring and muffler popping.
For businesses and residents, this is a no-brainer issue.
City Hall needs to finally get in gear and take real action on car and motorcycle revving.
Peter Blanton is a board member of the Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota has a car noise problem. Why won't City Hall act? | Opinion
