Newton proposes ordinance banning use of engine braking within city limits

Excessive noise caused by commercial trucks using their engine brakes to slow down — sometimes called “jake brakes” — has prompted the City of Newton to introduce a new ordinance banning the practice within city limits. The city said the new traffic regulation was a response to resident complaints on the east side.

Commercial vehicle drivers often use engine brakes to slow their vehicles instead of their traditional braking systems. Using engine brakes has shown to reduce the wear on a vehicle’s braking systems, but it also creates a loud rumbling noise that can disturb residents and business operations.

According to city documents, the use of an engine brake by a commercial vehicle is “unnecessary, except in emergency situations.”

To reduce the noise pollution and the disruptions caused by engine braking, city staff proposed an ordinance prohibiting the use of an engine brake within city limits. The only exception to the ordinance would be the use of an engine brake in emergency situations. The penalty for using an engine brake would be a fine.

Council member Stacy Simbro said the residents in Ward 3 have complained to him about the engine brake noises. The ward encompasses Iowa Speedway Drive and is in close proximity to the 168 exit of I-80 where several trucks travel to. Simbro said his residents will be “tickled to death” to see this issue addressed.

“I know there are difficulties in enforcing these things because you gotta catch them right in the act, but I know there is technology out there that may be helpful down the road if we can get to that point,” Simbro said. “It’s important. We hear it more and more. I live on the east side close enough to Iowa Speedway.”

Simbro added that other residents, like those who live near Highway 14 or other major roads or highways, have probably heard the noise at some point.

The city has acknowledged that enforcing the engine braking ordinance will be challenging, as it will require direct observation from a police officer. Identifying the source can be tricky if there are multiple commercial vehicles in the same area, which is why the city recommends posting signage on problematic routes.

Captain Chris Wing of the Newton Police Department said the exact location of the signs have not been determined yet, but they will focus on areas where the city has received the most complaints. The hope is, Wing said, is that proactive enforcement and signage will be sufficient and avoid a more automated solution.

“Which is much more costly for the city,” Wing said.

City Administrator Matt Muckler said staff had heard complaints from residents in Ward 3 and the city’s partners at the Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. So perhaps a good starting point for signage would be around Iowa Speedway Drive and the East 31st Street North corridor.

“Maybe we wait and see if we get other people that are having similar issues in other parts of town and we can expand from there,” Muckler said.

The first consideration of the ordinance was approved in a 6-0 vote. The council will have two more readings to approve before adopting the changes.