Police and GoodRoots pitch pilot evening program to curb Car Week noise and cruising

Police Chief Traeger and representatives of event organizer GoodRoots laid out competing options to address growing nighttime noise, aggressive driving and pedestrian near‑misses during Car Week in Carmel‑by‑the‑Sea.

Traeger summarized findings from two two‑hour listening sessions and an after‑action review of last year’s Car Week. He said the city’s fiscal team estimated the public‑safety cost at "about $36,000," and added that enforcement will be stepped up this year regardless of policy choices. Traeger told commissioners the department is investing in tools that can measure vehicle decibel readings and use those as an enforcement aid against “egregious” offenders.

GoodRoots presented a proposal for a pilot evening program to run Thursday through Saturday, 6–10 p.m., that would convert the usual footprint on Ocean Avenue and side streets into controlled, static parking for visiting vehicles. Ashley, identified in the meeting as an owner/manager with GoodRoots, described the plan as temporary traffic control to "enhance pedestrian safety, deter exhibition driving and mitigate congestion" and said staff would check in vehicles, collect fees agreed with the city, and escort cars to controlled exit routes.

The GoodRoots pitch includes staged entry points (for example, off 7th Avenue), visible staff on each block, signage for paid parking, and an electronic waiver attendees must accept promising not to rev engines. The organizers suggested dividing parking so cars staying longer are parked on Ocean and shorter‑stay vehicles on side streets; they also said exotics likely to attract social media attention would be staged for easier exits.

Commissioners focused questions on implementability: how cars and pedestrians would share Ocean Avenue during the event; how departures would be handled when attendees want to leave early; which party would assume liability for expensive cars; the speed and design of digital check‑in and whether shuttle/delivery and ride‑hail drop‑offs would be coordinated. GoodRoots said check‑in could be kept short (about one to two minutes), that staff would escort cars out to maintain pedestrian flow, and that coordination with the police department would be required for traffic control.

Traeger flagged the benefits and risks of a sanctioned evening program: static parking would likely reduce noise from cruising and create a safer viewing experience, but an inaugural evening event could draw a much larger crowd via social media, increasing spillover risk and demand for staffing and lighting. He recommended treating any evening program as a pilot and promised the department would "measure sound" and compliance to evaluate effectiveness.

Public commenters gave mixed perspectives. Some residents urged stricter limits or fewer events to preserve Carmel’s character; others noted the economic value of Car Week and urged pragmatic measures to manage crowds and costs. Commissioners generally favored a pilot approach combined with increased enforcement, speed‑hump placement and more lighting, and asked the chief and event organizers to return to the council with more detailed flow plans, liability arrangements and any proposed revenue sharing before a formal decision.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the matter; it closed the item after providing direction to staff and organizers.