Richmond City Council, along with VCU and Venture Richmond officials, have announced a new solution for citizen and neighborhood noise concerns.

With the usual upsurge of public and private complaints at this time of of year involving loud student parties, large sporting events, and a growing number of outdoor concerts, City authorities have long looked for a general panacea.

Many are nervously watching how in other localities across the country, noise complaints have spurred citizen lawsuits.

The local search for a different response had taken on new urgency as the population has grown and new venues like the Tredegar riverfront amphitheater and a new Diamond stadium are constructed and planned.

Now, these officials say, that search is over.

“We have embraced technology, and believe stylized, noise cancelling headphones for individuals will work for most, if not all situations,” a City spokesperson announced at this morning’s news conference at City Hall.

Noise-cancelling audio devices use a built-in microphone to analyze the ambient sound waves and generate the opposite sound waves to reduce surrounding sound. Noise-cancelling devices have a built-in microphone which produces the opposite reversed sound waves to neutralize surrounding noise.

From the joint press release:
“Every household in the City of Richmond can request up to four sets of headphones. Mass quantities of these headphones are being procured using a combination of leftover federal funding for pandemic public health programs and various private investment funds, many of which are related to venue operations. As with what happened with masks and coronavirus testing kits during the pandemic, public libraries and community health centers will help with distribution.”

In addition, James River Park will have headphones for rent at self-service kiosks, similar to the RVA Bike Share program.

In addition to cancelling outside noise, these new headphones have the capability to play stored sound files for wearers. For example, if headphone wearers are not only trying to stop bleedover outside concert noise from reaching their ears, but are also searching for something to listen to, they can choose from pre-loaded files like music recorded by VPM of previous Richmond Folk Festival sessions, VCU classroom lectures, or previous City Council meetings and public service announcements.

“We not only want to solve problems, but we are looking to enhance residents’ lives” gushed part of the press release for the program. “In the future, we may partner with VCU hospital system to experiment with new brain–computer interface (BCI) technology instead of relying on the physical headphones.”

At the end of the morning press conference, some braver reporters asked pointed questions.

One asked about going back to noise sources and negotiating stronger decibel limits, to which a City Councilperson replied, “Our corporate partners are not interested in entertaining anything like that at this time.”

This goes in line with what neighborhood leaders are hearing. For example, the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association has made simple, direct requests like banning fireworks from shows at the new Tredegar riverfront amphitheater, only to be met with stoney silence.

Another reporter asked about how officials planned to protect birds and other wildlife from new noise sources. The answer: “We expect them to move on.”

Another exasperated City Councilperson, tired of questions, simply pointed to the new headphones she was modeling, and said “Sorry, I can’t hear you. I have my headphones on.”