Noisy motorcycle caravans creating chaos downtown, raising safety concerns from neighbors

A caravan of hundreds of motorcycles created a loud, chaotic, and potentially dangerous situation on the Dan Ryan Expressway and in the South Loop and downtown Chicago late Thursday night.

Some Chicago neighbors said it has become a summer nuisance that comes with serious safety concerns.

The Caravan of motorcycles made its way from the Dan Ryan through the South Loop to downtown, where residents said it's nothing new, but time something is done. Police experts said the solution isn't as easy as it appears.

"Last night was a nuisance and hazard to safety for sure," Nick Andriacchi said. "They made their presence known. Now, the flipside is we do live in the city, so I do expect some noise."

The noise from the caravan kept Katy Kluever and her son up Thursday night.

"It's just a little too loud," she said.

Video captured hundreds of bikers on motorcycles, dirt bikes, and ATVs making their way into downtown on the Dan Ryan.

"I love that you're hanging out with you friends, I love that you're doing something social, but there's a certain time and a certain place," Kluever said.

And once in the Loop, video shows how this group took over streets and blocked intersections. Neighbors said it has been going on for weeks.

"There's children sleeping, there are families getting ready for the next day. You just have to be mindful of other people who are living along that road," Kluever said.

But when the caravans go the wrong way and prevent vehicles from moving for up to 20 minutes, it leaves drivers and residents asking how does this continue?

"If there are laws on the books that they can enforce … I think it would send a message and probably calm some of this down," Andriacchi said.

Former Chicago Police first deputy superintendent Anthony Riccio said catching these riders isn't easy and riders know it.

"This is one of the real challenges for law enforcement," he said. "I've seen many times, and many times tried myself as a police officer, to stop them, to stop, you know, pull one over, pull a couple of them over, and they simply accelerate, and they're gone."

Riccio said chasing them often makes the situation more dangerous. He said Chicago might want to consider what police in Oakland, California, did. They confiscated nearly 100 motorcycles and dirtbikes with the help of drones.

In the spring, bikers kept taking over a bridge in Oakland. Police finally moved in with drone technology.

"It's a much safer approach to dealing with this than a pursuit," Riccio said.

The operation in Oakland was a two-month investigation.    

Riccio points out oftentimes the license plates to legal vehicles are removed or blocked, which keeps them from being traced on license plate readers.