NEW YORK - The sound of cars zooming down Soundview Avenue, residents say, starts at night and lasts well into the morning. The street has become a racing strip.

“Cars are racing down the street literally over 60 to 80 miles-per-hour,” said neighbor Raymond Melendez.

It’s not just the roaring engines. Crowds who come to see the cars race, party all night at nearby Clason Point Park.

On September 18, local leaders, the parks department and NYPD officers met with frustrated residents. They say the coveted waterfront community used to be an escape from city life. Now, they awaken to skid marks in the street, after being kept up by loud muscle cars racing into the night.

“It’s gotten to the point where it’s completely out of control. It’s really lawless,” said Fernando Tapia.

They point to the new NYC Ferry Stop as part of the problem. To make way for MTA buses and commuters, the city paved a smooth road. There are no speed bumps and minimal traffic, making it ideal for this clandestine and illegal sport.

“If you take the Ferry downtown and you get off at 96th Street or Wall Street, you see a heavy police presence. Why can’t we have that here as well,” Carlos Vega asked.

The local precinct commanding officer acknowledged the problem but told neighbors they don’t have the manpower for round-the-clock enforcement.

There have been 16,000 complaints about noisy cars in the Bronx in the last six months. That’s tops in the city and about doubles the complaints in Brooklyn, which is far larger. Some say the problem has worsened during the pandemic.

“We think it’s due to the limited venues that are open. A lot people for a past time have been coming here to do drag racing in the streets,” said Assistant District Manager Shirley Alonzo.

The Parks Department tells NY1, Parks Enforcement officers increased patrols in the area last weekend. The department is also exploring whether it can close the park gate earlier, without interfering with the commuters who walk to and from the ferry dock.