Turn down the vroom: Councillor's motion targets noisy vehicles in Edmonton

Yahoo

2 days ago

If you live near it, chances are you've heard the Groat Road Grand Prix. In the early hours of the morning, you'll hear screaming engines and snarling motorbikes as they fly through the S turns on Groat Road as if they were the famous Maggotts and Becketts turns at Silverstone.
Or, if you're in Cloverdale, you've heard vehicles roaring up the hill on 98 Avenue as if Oscar Piastri was flooring his papaya-orange McLaren up the famous Eau Rouge incline at Spa-Francorchamps.
At the end of Tuesday's urban planning committee, Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz gave notice that he wants council to consider a motion that would allocate $50,000 to address the noisy vehicle issue in Edmonton. And the reasoning is two-fold — because noisy vehicles are often those going well above the speed limit.
Janz wants to see the Edmonton Police Service acquire a SoundVue detector. Manufactured by England-based Intelligent Instruments, the technology can pinpoint the amount of noise coming from a vehicle, as well as all of the identifying information. They are being used in New York, Honolulu, Sydney and London, England.
This isn't the first time Janz has railed against vehicle noise in council chambers. But he said the technology has come so far, so fast, that the police now have a reliable tool to use.
'What this does is give the police the power to have an educational opportunity, to have a teachable moment, to be able to tell someone, 'Look, you can't do this, you need to change your ways,'' said Janz. 'And then, in the future, there's some other infraction that they get dinged for, it shows on their record that they have warnings.'
Janz spoke of 'warnings' and 'teachable moments' because the current provincial government has curbed the use of photo radar and has warned against instituting any new technology on the roads that would lead to tickets.
'I understand that the minister doesn't want the fines, but there's a lot we can do in terms of collecting information, collecting research,' said Janz.
Janz said that learning where noise hotspots are would help police employ traffic cops in the right places at the right times.
Since the province curtailed the municipalities' power to use photo radar, traffic fatalities have spiked. As of the end of July, Edmonton had recorded 21 fatal accidents in 2025. And the province announced this week it is launching a new anti-speeding campaign.
'We know that noise is directly linked with street racing, dangerous driving and many of these other antisocial behaviours that are dangerous,' said Janz, adding he witnessed motorbikes drag-race each other on Whyte Avenue the previous evening. 'And, as we've seen, this is one of the most deadly years on record in Alberta, and anything we can do as a municipality would be a huge help to improve safety and quality of life on the roadways.'
Because the intent of the motion is to use the equipment for research, Janz doesn't feel like the city would be stepping on the province's toes.
'Quality-of-life impact'
Janz has a supporter in mayoral candidate and Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack. He said he doesn't just receive a lot of vehicle-noise complaints, but hears the roaring engines firsthand.
'I've been hearing about noisy vehicles along Groat Road and 107 Avenue for years now,' said Knack. 'It's a real quality-of-life impact for people. You've got a young family and your kids are trying to sleep and at one in the morning during the summer, or even fall or spring, and vehicles are flying by. I can hear them from where I live, in the Meadowlark area. I can't even imagine what it feels like for the folks who are right up against it.'
Knack said he'd like to see Edmonton police have its own dedicated traffic safety enforcement team, which would focus on school zones and high-collision spots during the day, and on noisy vehicles in the evening.
'We're seeing more unsafe driving behaviour,' said Knack. 'We clearly need to take a more active role. And, frustratingly, we all knew this was coming.'
And, as for the reduction of photo radar?
'Well, I hope the minister is seeing that the real impacts of his decision to remove a tool has now made our streets rather less safe.
'When municipalities are asking for these tools to allow them to create safer streets, we should be willing to trust the local representatives who have been democratically elected to make those decisions on behalf of the people they serve.'
Edmonton police, Alberta Transportation, and local peace officers team up on Project TENSOR, which targets noisy vehicles, speeders and other traffic violations. The Checkstops began in May and the first instalment led to seven noise-related infractions that were cited, and three more warnings.
But Janz said that word gets out fast, and many people know to avoid the checks. And, both Apple and Google Maps will warn drivers where there are traffic-enforcement measures.
And, while police do take noise complaints from the public, they need details. If you're shaken out of bed by a revving engine, chances are you don't have a chance to get to your window, note the licence plate, make, model and colour of the vehicle. The machine would do that work, instead.
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