{"id":799883,"date":"2019-09-28T16:03:49","date_gmt":"2019-09-28T22:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/?p=372106"},"modified":"2019-09-28T16:03:49","modified_gmt":"2019-09-28T22:03:49","slug":"dillon-cdot-move-to-reduce-noise-nuisances-caused-by-jake-brakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/dillon-cdot-move-to-reduce-noise-nuisances-caused-by-jake-brakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Dillon, CDOT move to reduce noise nuisances caused by \u2018Jake brakes\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the new noise ordinance signs near the intersection of Highway 6 and W. Anemone Trail in Dillon on Sept. 26, 2019.<\/strong>
Sawyer D\u2019Argonne \/ sdargonne@summitdaily.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Relief may have finally arrived for Dillon residents upset about truck noise rolling through town at night.<\/p>\n

For more than a year now residents in the Dillon Valley have been losing sleep as a result of semi-trucks utilizing \u201cJake brakes\u201d coming down the hill from Loveland Pass on Highway 6 late at night. CDOT and town officials are hopeful new signage and an educational push toward hauling companies can help make a difference.<\/p>\n

A Jake brake, otherwise known as a compression release engine brake, is a diesel engine retarder that uses the engine to aid in slowing and controlling a vehicle, according to Jacobs Vehicle Systems, the technology\u2019s original manufacturer. Once activated, the brake opens the engine\u2019s exhaust valves, which releases the compressed gas trapped inside and slows the vehicle.<\/p>\n

For truck drivers, using the Jake brake can help prevent their other brakes from over-heating, reduce service brake maintenance and lead to an overall lower cost of ownership. But for residents along the highway, it unfortunately also means a loud and rapid rumbling, and on occasion, a rude awakening.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more than just the noise,\u201d said Tim Weiers, who lives just off Highway 6 near the Lord of the Mountains Church in Dillon. \u201cAt 11 or 12 at night until three or four in the morning they come down the hill and use their Jake brakes. It rattles the windows. \u2026 I\u2019ve gotten up a few times to look through the window wondering what the deal was. You can hear them all the way down the hill. \u2026 It\u2019s so loud it\u2019s like a jet is going over your house.\u201d<\/p>\n

The town of Dillon is aware of the issue. Kerstin Anderson, the town\u2019s communications director, said the first citizen complaints started coming in last year. Though it has taken some time to put solutions in place.<\/p>\n

Of note, Jake braking through town is already restricted under the nuisances article in the town\u2019s municipal code. Given the unpredictable nature of incidents and the Dillon Police Department\u2019s other responsibilities, enforcement hasn\u2019t been a priority in the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve received a few complaints,\u201d said Chief Mark Heminghous of the Dillon Police Department. \u201cBut it\u2019s like any other nuisance issue that isn\u2019t consistent. We can\u2019t go sit out on the highway 24\/7. It\u2019s really hard to regulate given that our noise ordinance requires a decibel reading. And the nuisance ordinance is enforceable in this case, but it\u2019s something that in the past hasn\u2019t ever been strongly enforced.\u201d<\/p>\n

In May, Anderson said the town reached out to CDOT to help address the issue with new signage. At the town\u2019s request, CDOT installed new \u201cNoise Ordinance Enforced\u201d signs in areas around town just last week \u2014 including one on eastbound U.S. 6 at the E. Anemone Trail intersection, and westbound near the intersections with Cemetery Road and Evergreen Road.<\/p>\n

Weiers said the signage has already begun to make a difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a couple nights in a row I haven\u2019t heard any Jake brakes,\u201d Weiers said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a process with CDOT and Dillon to get that signage put up, but the last couple night I haven\u2019t heard anything so maybe it\u2019s been taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the town is hoping to do a little more to ensure truck drivers are taking note of the new signage. Anderson said the town is set to launch a new educational effort, reaching out to Colorado State Patrol to assist with enforcement and to hauling companies that come through Dillon to let them know not to use their Jake brakes in town. Anderson also said a notice on the restriction has been added to the town\u2019s digital sign on the highway to make sure motorists are aware of the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hopeful that between the signage and reaching out to the hauling companies it will have some impact,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cThe reality is there aren\u2019t enough resources to monitor every single truck that goes through our town limits. We hope it will make an impact, but we\u2019re doing our due diligence to communicate with these entities. Still we recognize it\u2019s a busy state highway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chief Heminghous agreed that education is the best way to curb noise issues in town.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to start with an education process, making contact with those people to educate them from the top down from all the different hauling associations that work with the truckers so that we\u2019re not just out there bombarding folks with a bunch of summons,\u201d Heminghous said.<\/p>\n

Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, said the issue likely isn\u2019t with Jake brakes at large, but rather with \u201cbad operators\u201d in the area. Fulton noted that by state law any truck with a Jake brake equipped is required to have a muffler, and said with a proper muffler attached Jake brakes shouldn\u2019t be producing a large amount of noise.<\/p>\n

Instead, Fulton postulates that the issue stems from drivers who have either removed their muffler \u2014 often for aesthetic reasons, or because the driver actually enjoys the sound \u2014 or are using a faulty muffler, leading to complaints. He also noted that on occasion residents would misinterpret Jake braking for other loud noises coming from the highway, such as motorcycles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of companies and many of them have Jake brakes, or compression brakes, and will be using them and you wouldn\u2019t notice,\u201d Fulton said. \u201cThis is more of a specific thing. It\u2019s a lack of having a muffler with the engine compression brake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fulton said that he\u2019s hesitant to suggest to any driver not to use a Jake brake if they felt it was needed for safety reasons, particularly in the mountains. Though he did voice a willingness to work with the town on putting an end to noise issues, and actually encouraged fines and strict enforcement for violators of the muffler law.<\/p>\n

\u201cJake brakes are an essential safety feature, particularly in the mountains,\u201d Fulton said. \u201cWe do not want to discourage the use of engine compression brakes. We do want to clearly discourage operating a truck with an engine brake and not having a muffler. \u2026 We want to be good neighbors. Whenever I hear things like this, I\u2019m happy to work with the city to focus on those problem operators who are clearly not complying, and having those folks brought into compliance.\u201d<\/p>\n

via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the new noise ordinance signs near the intersection of Highway 6 and W. Anemone Trail in Dillon on Sept. 26, 2019.Sawyer D\u2019Argonne \/ sdargonne@summitdaily.com Relief may have finally arrived for Dillon residents upset about truck noise rolling through town at night. For more than a year now residents in the Dillon Valley have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-799883","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-24 15:43:32","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=799883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/799883\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=799883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=799883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=799883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}