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Port Moody councillors pushing for city to start noise camera pilot program

A resolution championed by Port Moody advocating for a provincial noise camera pilot program was passed at last fall's UBCM convention.
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Two Port Moody councillors want the city to get a head start on a pilot project enforcing noise regulations for vehicles with noise cameras.

A pair of Port Moody councillors want the city get ahead of any provincial plan to test the effectiveness of noise cameras to help cut down noise pollution from vehicles.

In a report to be presented to council Tuesday, Jan. 14, Couns. Diana Dilworth and Samantha Agtarap said while a resolution championed by Port Moody advocating for the implementation of a noise camera pilot program was endorsed at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) annual convention last fall, it “can take years to receive a response” from the province.

Instead, Dilworth and Agtarap suggest, the city should move ahead with its own pilot program to help get a better understanding of vehicular noise levels in the community as well as try out the new technology in advance of any changes to provincial regulations.

“A pilot project will provide valuable data on the effectiveness of noise cameras in enforcing vehicular noise regulations,” said Dilworth and Agtarap in their report.

Currently, the Motor Vehicle Act sets the maximum allowable decibel levels from motor vehicles at 83 dBA for cars and light-duty trucks, 88 dBA for gas-powered heavy-duty vehicles, 91 dBA for motorcycles and 93 dBA for diesel-powered heavy-duty vehicles.

But, said Dilworth and Agtarap in their report, enforcing those regulations can be challenging. Noise cameras, that are similar to red-light cameras, can bolster that enforcement as they’re equipped with a high-definition camera and audio sensor that are triggered by vehicles that exceed the noise limits.

“Noise cameras offer a way to address vehicular noise pollution and enforce existing regulations,” said Dilworth and Agtarap.

Such cameras are in already use in several cities across Canada and around the world, including Calgary, Edmonton, New York and Paris, they said in a previous report.

Dilworth and Agtarap said some companies have already offered free use of their cameras to communities across the province.


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