Long Beach Weighs Ice Cream Truck Noise Rules

The canned music of an ice cream truck, when played all day and into the night, is grating on the nerves of many Long Beach residents, and City Councilman Dee Andrews is seeking to find some relief.

At Tuesday night's regular meeting, the Long Beach City Council will weigh Andrews' proposal. He is asking the City to regulate the ice cream trucks' operation to eliminate the noise nuisance of the vendors parking in one spot and blasting the music for hours (where once they passed through a neighborhood and were gone). 

Andrews said his District Office has been flooded with complaints from residents for some time.

"The item is requesting that the City Attorney amend the Long Beach Municipal Code 5.51.060, to specially address the nuisance that Ice Cream Trucks create. It also requires when an Ice Cream Truck is parked and dispensing ice cream, no amplified music shall be broadcast," Andrews said in announcing his agenda item. 

"In areas of the mid-city, the Ice Cream Truck nuisance is the increasing and continuous play of amplified music. It can be heard throughout the day and into the evening hours for several blocks. Residents’ peace and quiet is disrupted by a constant procession of trucks playing various songs at high volume levels.  In several cases, an additional ice cream truck will follow the first one and the cycle repeats all through the day.

“I have been living in the Wrigley Neighborhood for seven years. Each year, the Ice Cream Truck noise gets louder and the trucks increase in numbers. It has definitely affected my quality of life for years and I am thankful that something is being proposed to address the problem,” Sam Portillo, 6th district resident, told Andrews office.

Patch readers have also commented on the noise. "Hey folks, wondering if I'm the only one living close to the beach who is getting a little punchy from the ice cream truck jingle," posted Chris Severs. "For some of us this is some serious noise pollution."

Tina Kline responded to Severs: "I hear it all ... the time as well. He parks and plays that music over and over for hours on end. My six-year-old granddaughter couldn't even stand it. She wanted to go say something to him. I would like to sit in front of his home and play some really bad song over and over to see how he likes it. I hope the law is passed that he can only play the music while he is moving. OMG he came back as I'm writing this and it's 7:40 p.m. NOT AGAIN!"

Have you been bothered by noise in your neighborhood? Tell us in comments.