What has happened to our lovely city? We moved to Portland 20 years ago to a quiet, charming and very manageable small city, happy to do so. We enjoyed its growth and a bit of gentrification over the years, and felt safe to live in Portland through the pandemic. However, as we’ve all noticed, nothing is the same since then. Most changes are not so difficult, except for one: the extreme noise pollution that plagues us day and night.
For those of who are thinking that part of the urban experience is heightened noise, I must reveal that my husband and I have lived in much larger cities and enjoy urban life. However, the noise we experience here in Portland now far exceeds that.
The sources are varied: motorcycles, souped-up cars, trucks “jake braking” (banned in some cities), street people in the wee hours, etc. This goes on 24/7, making a good night’s sleep rare, at least in the summer, when we open our windows for fresh, cool air.
I understand that Portland has noise ordinances, but I’ve not seen any enforcement of them. Perhaps if we had more police patrolling the city on foot or bicycle (or even horses – there’s a novel thought), enforcement might be more visible and preventable, especially for those who come from out of town to “perform” for us.
I would like to believe that there’s a solution for this problem. I invite councilors and fellow citizens to kindly join me in speaking up – loudly.
Sharon Reilly
Portland
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