Residents Of 2 Philadelphia Neighborhoods 'Can't Get Away' From ATV, Dirt Bike Noise All Hours Of Day
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Revving engines, burning tires, and blocked streets. Dangerous stunts plague two Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Residents and business owners say they want it to stop. The noise and neighborhood nuisance involves illegal dirt bikes and ATVs.
South Streets runs between the two residential neighborhoods. The noise is keeping residents up all night and fearing what's to come this summer.
It's not the vibrant buzz that comes with city life, it's harassment, according to many who live on the residential blocks of Queen Village and Society Hill, bordering South Street.
"Even if the windows are closed you still can't get away from it," a resident named Amy said.
Amy is one of many people who say they are now considering moving from the area because of extreme noise pollution.
"The location is great and the people are great but the quality of life, I'm not sleeping anymore. It's just upsetting," she said.
On Wednesday, warm weather brought out a show of both legal vehicles showing off amplified sound systems and illegal ATVs and dirtbikes performing dangerous stunts.
Of course, similar activity is nothing new to Philadelphia. A petition with almost 5,000 signatures demands action.
At the same time, it's been argued that such activity should be respected as city culture.
In October of last year, a safety hearing discussed creating a designated park for ATVs. Others suggest speed bumps or increasing street closures in and around South Street to disrupt the noisy routes.
"The police department want to keep it from happening so they close off a bunch of streets," a business owner said.
This South Street business owner did not want to be identified but said the remedy for reducing noise is almost just as hurtful to businesses as the noise.
"On so many of those nights we have had to cancel orders or people cancel orders because it's too hard to get to us," he said.
It's a catch 22 with sleepless neighbors boarding on hopeless as summer approaches with a roar.
"I can't imagine myself staying where I am now even though I really like where I am," Amy said.