We all deserve the ability to enjoy getting outside, a patio, or to sleep with our windows open during the summertime free from the deafening whines and bangs from noisy vehicles....
I’m proud to say that my city council colleagues supported my push to increase the fines for noisy or modified vehicles to $1000 (and doubling per infraction).
This year, the Edmonton Police is requesting your help on tracking down the most egregious culprits related to street racing and noisy vehicles.
Can you help provide info here: where and when are you experiencing excessive vehicle noise and/or street racing? Where do we need to see police enforcement?
https://www.edmontonpolice.ca/TrafficVehicles/TrafficConcerns/VehicleNoise
Do not suffer in silence! Please share this link with your friends and neighbours: michaeljanz.ca/noise
Excessive noise is not only harmful, it can be deadly. Studies and insurance providers note that where there’s smoke there’s fire, and where there’s noise there’s street racing, dangerous driving, stunting, injury, and death. This is one of the most searched complaints on the city’s website and one of the most frequent complaints to my office.
Edmonton is not alone. Cities around the world are using “noise photo radar” to ticket 24/7/365 because it is impossible and expensive to have a cop on every corner, every hour.
We hope that the fines inspire behavior change and send a clear message that noisy motorbikes belong on the open road, and the place for street racing is at the race track not city streets.
Learn more and Take action:
CALL TO ACTION:
Please Call Minister Devin Dreeshen (780-427-2080) and ask for his help to silence the noisy vehicles.
We know that this technology can have the needed precision to hand out tickets on noisy vehicles and already is working in London, Paris, New York, and others. But this technology is being blocked by the Alberta UCP from use in Alberta because it's been included in their photo radar moratorium.
You can call his office and leave a message with his staff who will let him know. I'm told by people at the Legislature that phone calls weigh heavily on the Ministers.
DEVIN DREESHEN, Honourable - Minister of Transportation - Office of the Minister
Phone: 780 427-2080
Too late to phone? Send an email! (Please BCC my office at [email protected])
Here's a draft that I encourage you to customize:
E-mail: [email protected],
Subject: Please help address stunting, Dangerous driving, and excessive noise
Minister Dreeshen,
I am a resident of Edmonton and I urge you to take any and all action in your legislative authority to empower municipalities and law enforcement to address the issues of noisy vehicles, stunting, and dangerous driving behaviour.
The excessive noise is only part of the harm these drivers are choosing to inflict on our community with these optional modifications.
The Edmonton Police acknowledge this is a serious issue: https://www.edmontonpolice.ca/TrafficVehicles/TrafficNoise
Noisy vehicles are often modified to be excessively noisy and are frustrating the police, neighbours, businesses and families. We need your help addressing this nuissance and public safety concern.
This could be a big win for us all with no downside to you, as you just need to pass the laws which the local municipalities will enforce, fund, resource, and action.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
PS: Given the public health implications cited, I would encourage you to talk with the Health Minister:
Policing is the largest item in the city budget and on your property tax bill. No one spends more on policing than Edmonton. But where is the new funding going?
Did you know that an inmate released from the Federal Bowden Institution would be resettled 184 km away in Edmonton, not much closer in Calgary, or Red Deer?
Maclean's Magazine reports that as a group, the ten richest Canadians combined net worth has ballooned over the last two decades to $261 Billion compared to a paltry $60 billion in 2004. Collectively enabling this opulence and stark inequality for the top ten while thousands die is one hell of a policy choice, Canada. According to the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, we could end homelessnes across canada for $4.4 billion a year for the next decade-- a bargain when we consider homelessness costs the Canadian economy $7 billion each year. Ending homelessness would yield a 2;1 return on investment, let alone the moral imperative.
