Calgary vehicle noise bylaw
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/colum.../14363071.html
Bylaw Bill Bruce wants it. Ald. John Mar wants it. Bronco doesn’t want it.
That’s a problem.
The mayor is not a stumbling block. He is a brick wall.
As this paper revealed Friday, Mar and city bylaw boss Bill Bruce want to slap a ticket on all noisy vehicles and, with a council green light, they want to do it by mid-summer.
Bylaw Bill says the proposed ticket would be around $500 and offenders going over 96 decibels would be caught on technology similar to photo radar, with the fine going to the registered owner.
In fact, there is a system the city is eyeing where vehicles are recorded on video and audio with an accompanying decibel reading.
Most Sun readers who have voiced an opinion support Mar and Bylaw Bill’s efforts.
Then there’s Bronco. He is against.
The mayor says he is as irritated as anyone over the noise nasties. But he doesn’t want to go this route. He would like the province to put in a loud-noise ban to be enforced by the cops, keeping the same fine and attaching demerit points.
Another bylaw, says Bronco, is just setting up the city for more pain than gain.
The first vroom, vroom, vroom and the city’s 311 phone line will be flooded with calls asking why bylaw didn’t get rid of the loud noise and the loud noise will likely not go away.
“Of course, these loud vehicles are an irritant. Only a very few would disagree great big hogs going vroom vroom is not somehow an exciting thing,” says Bronco.
“But is the best way to deal with it a city bylaw? I’m not going to create a false expectation. I don’t want to add stuff to the books we can’t enforce.”
“There aren’t enough bylaw officers to deal with half the complaints we receive today. We would be creating an expectation that if you call us when someone is ripping down the street, the city will be there to enforce the new bylaw.”
“Bylaw should be focusing on what goes on in the streets already. We’ve got graffiti, weed complaints, litter and garbage, fire pits, broken fences, neighbourhood disputes, unsightly premises and the list goes on. To introduce another area of responsibilty, whether or not there is technology, well, we don’t have the resources. That’s the bottom line.”
“The city can’t be the responsible party to deal with everybody’s irritant.”
Of course, Bylaw Bill points out the city has waited for the province to make a move but the province isn’t doing anything. Imagine that. So it’s this or squat.
As for getting it in for a final July 19 vote, the last council meeting for this sort of issue before the October election, Bronco would like to close that door.
“This is not an item of urgent business. There is no way to get this done by the summer. I don’t think the timelines line up,” says Bronco, who will not be around if a new council decides to go ahead with this brainwave in the fall.
Mar says he is standing firm and he is gaining allies among other aldermen.
“This is something with citywide support. There is an expectation from citizens on this issue. I have spoken to other members of council who are now interested in signing on,” says Mar.
“If we can get it to the next council meeting, we will.”
That meeting is June 21 and Mar would ask council to direct city administration to come up with a bylaw to go to a committee at the end of June and then back to the mayor and aldermen for a decision in July.
Ald. Joe Connelly, who is running for mayor, will be voting Yes and, unlike Mar who gets the calls from those who live near 17 Ave. S.W., Joe hears from people farther in the southwest.
“I do support this. I think it’s a major problem,” says Joe, citing concerns in Discovery Ridge, along Sarcee Tr. and Glenmore Tr.
So there we have it.
Some aldermen already agree. The mayor is opposed.
Climbers up Mount Everest have faced easier challenges. But Everest has been climbed.
“If bylaw has time on their hands, I can take them down streets needing some cleaning up,” says the mayor, under 96 decibels but still loud and clear.
I actually agree with Bronco on this one.. I also don't think this would be enforceable..
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.... I get some of the meanist looks you can imagine from people, so it wouldn't surprise me (probably doesn't help me that if somebody glares at me and I have the chance, I'll pace them for miles with my sidepipes right along their side window at 4k rpm ... rolling up your windows won't save you from me, hah! 
