Noisy vehicles remain an 'earsore' 2 years after Fredericton updated bylaw to tackle issue
Fredericton police issued just 5 tickets since noise bylaw amended in April 2021
Warm, sunny weather can be a good reason to enjoy lunch or dinner on a downtown restaurant's patio.
But in Fredericton, patrons might have to eat their maple curry chicken penne while listening to the din of motorcycles, cars and trucks revving their engines.
"I would say that the issue is worse today than it's ever been," said Stephen Chase, a former Fredericton city councillor who served between 2008 and 2021.
Excessively loud vehicles is an issue that councillors, including Chase, have railed against for years, and in 2021 they tried to address it once and for all by beefing up the city's noise bylaw.
The bylaw was amended to quantify how loud was too loud for a motorcycle, with a maximum of 92 decibels while idling and 96 decibels at any engine speed above idle.
The bylaw was also updated to prohibit anyone from operating a vehicle that emits a sound that could disturb others.
Police were later equipped with decibel-reading machines to go out and enforce the bylaw. But more than two years since those changes were adopted, police have issued a grand total of five tickets, including four in 2021, and just one so far this year.
"It's disappointing," said Chase.
"You know, given the the major incidents of noise, I mean every day, at most anytime during the day, you know, this unnecessary noise is evident."
CBC News was not granted an interview with Fredericton Police Chief Martin Gaudet about why the number of tickets issued is so low and whether there are particular challenges around enforcing the bylaw.
In an email, police spokesperson Sonya Gilks said a report of loud vehicle noise is difficult to patrol, as the vehicle in question is often gone by the time officers arrive.
"We understand people's frustration with loud vehicle noise and while we do enforce it, it is as resources — and priority of calls for service — permit," Gilks said.
Gilks said police have had several traffic blitzes in the past several months and will be doing more to target excessive vehicle noise, among other traffic violations.
Fredericton's noise bylaw isn't the only law on the books in relation to loud vehicles for which police have issued tickets.
Statistics from the police force show officers issued 12 tickets in 2021, five in 2022 and two tickets this year for "making unnecessary noise with tires," which is an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act.
Police also issued eight tickets in 2021, 11 in 2022 and nine in 2023 for driving a vehicle without a "proper exhaust system," which is also a Motor Vehicle Act offence.
Shame as a deterrent?
Mike Babineau, owner of Rustico and a handful of other downtown restaurants, said he had hoped the update to the bylaw would offer the teeth needed to dampen the noise.
"It is pretty constant, you know, in the summer time," Babineau said.
He said not much has changed since it went into effect, but he also understands police officers might have their hands full with higher priorities.
Babineau added that not all bikers are at fault, and the only option left to deter the ones making excessive noise might be in the hands of the general public.
"As much as we'd like to see a handle on this, I think it's really up to us business owners and people to really shame these bikers — the ones that are causing the issues," said Babineau, adding that could be through sharing photos and videos of them in the act.
"You know, it's the ones that think that they're showing off in our downtown that really are making themselves look like fools."
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