I have a soft spot in my heart for motorcycles and their drivers. My dad used to rebuild and repair bikes; several of my friends are bikers. I’ve spent lots of happy time riding motorcycles, talking about them, admiring them.
But a few extra-loud motorcycles, illegally modified or illegally equipped and revved to disrupt and annoy, are clouding my happy memories and giving motorcyclists a bad name. The roar they produce isn’t just disturbing — it’s damaging to human hearing and health. Extra-loud motorcycles don’t belong in residential neighbourhoods or on busy urban streets. Why is this still happening?
The basic answer is that St. John’s city council and the province are passing responsibility back and forth like a hot potato. Council says the province should amend the Highway Traffic Act. The province says the city can pass a bylaw whenever it likes. Everyone agrees — it’s someone else’s problem.
In September of 2015, the city’s legal department began work on a position paper about motorcycle noise. Now another summer has come and gone and the city’s position is yet to be released. Maybe it’s not a priority — or maybe some councillors are happy to kick the can down the road. After all, recent attempts to act on motorcycle noise in Fredericton and Bathurst, N.B. were defeated or reversed after ferocious opposition.
It’s time for action. The city has the power to “regulate or prohibit … the use of noisy vehicles in the streets, or the making of unnecessary noises in the city.” Other cities, including Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Oakville, Ont., have used similar powers to place noise limits on motor vehicles. We should too.
The Saskatoon law is a good model. No motor vehicle, including a motorcycle, can produce more than 92 decibels while idling, or 96 decibels while in motion — that’s loud enough to damage human hearing. Unmodified and properly equipped motorcycles don’t get nearly that loud. The bylaw also deals with enforcement, allowing police officers to require that a vehicle be tested.
If I’m elected to city council, I will push for immediate action restricting motorcycle noise, because I believe that building community means our streets should be safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Maggie Burton
St. John’s
