ATHABASCA - Complaints about loud vehicles on the 53rd St. hill will see Athabasca’s community peace officer watching and listening more closely, but that’s not the only street where residents will be seeing more of him.
Coun. Ida Edwards brought up the topic of exceptionally loud vehicles during CPO Brian Bandura’s monthly report during the April 19 regular town council meeting after hearing from several residents in the area.
“Fifty-third Street is quite steep and people with motors that are louder, and those with mufflers that might not be in as good of shape, echo for two blocks either way I noticed and I'm just wondering how we can educate the public that people live on those streets and it's not a commercial or industrial thoroughfare,” she said.
Bandura said he agreed that excessively noisy vehicles are a problem.
“Just to let you know, I will be looking into that matter and there are sections of the Traffic Safety Act that relate to motor vehicles making excessive noise that will definitely be dealt with at that point,” he said, urging drivers and motorcyclists to show some courtesy for residents in the areas they are passing through, especially early in the early mornings.”
Coun. Loretta Prosser asked for some clarity on how a vehicle is determined to be making too much noise. Bandura admitted it was a subjective determination.
“It's going to be something that's very subjective,” said Bandura, giving an example of a pickup truck with an aftermarket exhaust.
By simple observation he would be able to determine if a given vehicle was louder than it should be just because there’s little room for mistaking an aftermarket exhaust. If it’s loud enough to get his attention, you’re probably going to get a ticket, he said.
“If I'm talking to a fellow in the vehicle, that's idling and I can't hear what he’s saying then obviously, my grounds, even though subjective, it’s obviously a lot louder than it should be at that point. So, I mean, that's up to the judge and the Crown to make that decision.”
Bandura also commented on a request from residents on 47th St. to bring the speed limit down from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.
Council would review the letter from Greg and Vera Burritt later in the meeting, but mayor Rob Balay asked Bandura if he thought a speed reduction on the street that passes the Pioneer Place and Heritage Place condos on the way to Hees Estates would have any impact.
“I drove it at 50 and personally I don’t feel it’s too fast, but I realize there are people that are going faster than 50, so just your opinion on if we if we were to consider ... a drop to 40 km/h. Is that going to change people's habits, or does it come down to enforcement?” Balay asked.
Bandura said he believed enforcement is the best option.
“People are going to continue doing the same thing they’re doing now,” he said. “I spent a few times there in the early morning and I've actually met a few people going a little faster than they should … enforcement is the best way to do it.
It will probably irritate people more than having any real effect, he said.
“Conceptually, it’s a great idea, but it’s going to be one of those things.”
The Burritts’ letter noted the street was home to two seniors' complexes on this street and two other adult complexes; the FLIPS gymnastics club, the Seniors Drop-In Centre are also nearby along with the library, theatre and teen centre.
“All of these places have either seniors or children using the facilities, and when performances or meetings are being held, the traffic can get very congested,” the letter read. “We have seen many families on bikes, families with baby carriages, families jogging, many seniors walking and many dog walkers. We have witnessed some vehicles slow down when passing pedestrians but have also witnessed some that do not slow down at all.”
Council discussed the request further but landed on Bandura’s previous assessment that enforcement would probably be more effective at this point.
