23-Aug-17 – Residents along Lake Shore Drive will get help from the city to combat noise from vehicles passing their tony properties. A noise monitoring system will be installed to collect data, a first step toward addressing complaints.

A state law was needed to allow Chicago to enact an ordinance to install the system. Legislation sponsored by State Representative Sara Feigenholtz was approved by Governor Bruce Rauner on Tuesday.

“High-rise dwellers along Lake Shore Drive share complaints on a regular basis with their elected officials about vehicular noise,” said Feigenholtz (left) when she introduced the bill on February 3. “This is the first step to mitigate the problem of noise pollution along the drive and provide residents with some much-needed relief.”

The system will collect data 24 hours per day to help engineers understand the noise implications of any changes they make to Lake Shore Drive. A report, prepared one year after installation, would be made available to the public. A similar system was used to measure jet noise around O’Hare International Airport.

The legislation was supported by six Chicago aldermen, including Brian Hopkins and Brendan Reilly, whose wards include lakefront property.