Fairfax County will pilot the use of automated sensors to detect excessively loud mufflers, with police planning to install the devices at two locations as soon as January.
The 90-day pilot, allowed under a new state law, will place sensors at Westpark Drive and Jones Branch Drive in Tysons, and at Richmond Highway and Lockheed Boulevard in Hybla Valley. The test will end in March.
State law defines noisy exhaust systems as those that exceed 95 A-weighted decibels — louder than typical city traffic and equivalent to the sound emitted by a lawn mower.
"My office has received many complaints over the past few years about loud mufflers, and this new technology may help address the problem," Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said in his weekly newsletter. "While the police wrote over 1,000 noise tickets last year, hopefully these sensors will make enforcement even more effective, keeping our roads and neighborhoods quieter."
Under the law, fines may be up to $100. Because violations are a civil penalty, they will not be reported to the DMV or a driver's insurance company. Every violation detected by the sensors will be reviewed by an active Fairfax County Police officer before a ticket is issued.
The police will install sensors from Blue Line Solutions, whose system uses five microphones, two high-resolution cameras and LIDAR technology, taking both photos and videos.
State law says the data may only be used for enforcing loud muffler violations, and must be purged 60 days after a fine has been paid. The county must also certify annually to the state that it is following this policy. If Blue Line violates these terms, the law imposes a $1,000 fine per improper disclosure or use of the data.
In other news from the newsletter, Alcorn joined Gerry Connolly's family on Saturday to unveil new signs honoring the late congressman along the Connolly Cross County Trail, a 41.5-mile route from the Potomac River at Great Falls to the Occoquan River at Lorton that was completed in 2005.
A community meeting on the West of Wiehle Study will be held Monday, Oct. 5, from 7-9 p.m. at Langston Hughes Middle School in Reston to discuss proposed Comprehensive Plan changes for a 58-acre site near the Wiehle Metro Station.
The State Corporation Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy merger on Friday, Oct. 9, from 6-8 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center. Written comments may be submitted through Nov. 9.
Car taxes are due Monday, Oct. 5, and the county noted that self-service kiosks at government centers now accept cash, check and credit card payments for personal property taxes.