Alderman Anjana Hansen, 9th Ward, wants to lower the boom on loud music from cars.

She told constituents at a ward meeting Thursday that she plans to propose at Monday’s City Council meeting that Evanston adopt an ordinance to crack down on drivers who play music so loud it disturbs neighbors.

She says she hopes to model the ordinance on one in Chicago that lets police impound the cars of drivers who play their music too loud, imposes a $150 minimum fine and adds the violation to the driver’s state driving record.

“Having those hard-core fines and punishments is a real deterent,” Ald. Hansen said.

State law already prohibits drivers from playing music so loud that it would interfere with their ability to hear oncoming emergency vehicles, but that statute lacks the impound provision and has lower fines.

Ald. Hansen says she’s had complaints of drivers parking outside of houses in the middle of the night blaring their music for as long as an hour.

The noise ordinance proposal is expected to be referred to the council’s Human Services Committee for review.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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