Delegates at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) conference want the provincial government to adopt a noise camera pilot project.
The initiative addresses “vehicular noise pollution, a persistent issue impacting public health and community well-being across the province” according to a resolution submitted by the City of Port Moody.
Kelowna Councillor Gord Lovegrove made a similar pitch to his colleagues last month.
“These are cameras situated in road corridors where they pick up traffic noise that exceed our bylaws and the motor vehicle act,” he said at an Aug. 13 council meeting.
The cameras operate similarly to a red light camera. It uses a microphone to capture excessively loud vehicles, takes a photograph an audio recording, and sends the driver a ticket in the mail.
The UBCM resolution says that a growing body of evidence links noise pollution to adverse health outcomes, such as increased stress, cardiovascular issues, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities, and sleep disturbances.
“There is much data supporting the need to reduce excessive traffic noise on all our roads province-wide,” Lovegrove said in a UBCM media release.
According to the resolution, vehicular noise pollution is a particularly acute problem in urban areas, particularly from vehicles with modified or aftermarket exhaust systems.
"Noise pollution isn’t just an annoyance it’s a public health issue,” said Port Moody Councillor Samantha Agtarap. “And it disproportionately affects residents that live along busy roads”
Saanich Councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff, a long-time proponent of noise cameras, noted that enforcing noise regulations related to vehicle exhaust systems is a challenge.
“When you are woken up in the middle of the night by a loud vehicle driving past your window, the vehicle is long gone before you can gather the information needed to make an actionable report to the local authorities. Noise cameras help solve this problem.”
The resolution calls for the province to create a pilot project that municipalities can opt into.
