ABQ Times

Nick Ferenchak, an assistant professor in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering at The University of New Mexico, has developed a technology to track loud vehicles. He is also the president of Not-A-Loud, a local company specializing in noise cameras.

Ferenchak explained that when a vehicle exceeds a certain decibel threshold, the noise camera captures its license plate. If desired by the city, a citation can be mailed to the vehicle owner. "We love hiking in the Sandia Mountains, and when you’re out in the Sandia Mountains you can’t see the city at all, it’s so beautiful, but then you can still hear the road noise," he said.

Motivated by noisy hikes and sleepless nights, Ferenchak decided to address this issue. "I do a lot of traffic safety research so I know about speed camera programs, and I just thought well, if we can catch vehicles speeding, why can’t we catch vehicles that are making noise," he stated.

In late 2019, Ferenchak filed a patent application and began developing early prototypes. After years of refinement, he now believes the noise cameras are ready for deployment. "It’s an important issue; there’s lots of literature out there connecting noise pollution...to health issues," he said. He also noted economic impacts on businesses located near busy roads.

Ferenchak's team is conducting pioneering research in Albuquerque linking road noise with vehicle speeds and crash rates. "If we can crack down on that road noise, I think we can also crack down on traffic safety issues," he added.

Cities such as New York City have run pilot programs with various versions of noise camera technology but have not yet widely implemented them. "We’ve had this technology four or five years now...and just over the last year we’ve been running pilot programs here in New Mexico," Ferenchak mentioned.

The technology is named 'NoiseTracker,' primarily capturing modified sports cars racing around. Ferenchak plans to install more units and explore additional ideas. "The reaction has been positive; people are excited about it," he remarked.

Ferenchak is also the Director of the Center for Pedestrian Bicyclist Safety but clarified that his work with noise cameras is not affiliated with the university.