Car Noise – Feedback to Allnovascotia UPDATED

I know a lot of residents are concerned about vehicle noise and the disruption the renewed use of after market mufflers is causing.  Unfortunately there are very limited effective tools right now to issue tickets.  I wrote a short note updating Allnovascotia owner David Bentley in response to his editorial yesterday, but ANS didn’t publish it.  Because so many people are have questions about these issues I’m posting it here.

UPDATE – just recieved this clarification from ANS

My name is tktk and I work at allNovaScotia. I hear you put out a tweet about not seeing your feedback in today’s issue. I wanted to take the time to explain that I’m filling in for a coworker this week who normally puts up the feedbacks, and missing yours was an oversight (we get a lot of emails!)
 
Your feedback will appear in tonight’s issue.

My email to ANS:

David,

Unfortunately your editorial contains incorrect information. Currently, the MVA disallows municipal by-laws to control vehicle noise. Specifically section 306 (1) states that “Notwithstanding the provisions of any Act of the Legislature, the council of any city,town or municipality shall not, except as in this Act provided, have power to make any bylaws, rules, regulations or ordinances” about operation of vehicles.

You will be pleased to know that a week ago HRM Council voted unanimously to ask the province to consider changing the act to strengthen noise controls for mufflers, or adopted new regulations which would allow the use of hand held devices by police when issuing tickets under the existing act.

Halifax Regional Police routinely patrol the lower parking lot and Young Avenue, especially on Sundays. Speed data collected by municipal staff shows that Young Avenue does not experience unusual speeding. Noisy after market muffler use throughout HRM seems to have skyrocketed the last few years and until the province changes law and regulations the noise people experience will continue.

Waye