Calgary launches the "Noise Snare"...

351CFalcon

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Starting May 31, the "Noise Snare" will be on the city streets but warnings will be given for the first month.

The excessive noise provision was added to the traffic by-law last year and sets the noise limit at 96 decibels. Fine is $200 for exceeding that level.

This is a $250,000 video and audio machine mounted on the traffic signals poles. As you pass through the radar beam, it records the noise level and takes a pic of the plate if you exceed the limit, especially if one is accelerating.
An Edmontonian invented this snare after "HOGS" and other noisy vehicles that went by his residence late at night keeping his daughter awake.

Calgary is the only city at the moment to test and install one. The inventor lent it to the city to test for a 2 year period.

Most of the noise complaints in the city comes from all the condo owners living along or close to the infamous RED MILE party circuit on 17 Ave SW. Friday and Saturday nights, as well as Sunday afternoons are packed along that stretch.
Lots of traffic, especially loud bikes (hogs and crotch rockets) and some wanna-bees muscle cars and tuners.
By the time the by-law officers came (or in most cases, not come) the offending vehicle was long gone or parked. By-law only had a handful of portable noise meters and none of them knew how to use them properly. This snare is "suppose" to solve these problems.
 
Last edited:
That should move Cowtown down on the 'Places to Party' list.
Just another reason I moved out of Calgary,their heads are so far up their arses they can't see sense.
 
well if it's anything like the picture speeding tickets it'l be challenged in court and the pic speeding tickets went by the way side so we'll see!!
 
Yeah that'll be as stupid as the intersection cameras to catch red light violators.
My son Steve received a ticket in the mail for such a violation recorded at a Halifax intersection, when in fact he was attending Crandall University in Moncton NB the day of the so called infraction.
It's whomever is scrutinizing the photos, to record the proper licence plate number and give the ticket to the correct party, not to guess as to what he or she thinks the plate reads.
 
I'm on the fence with this one. Our house is on a major highway, one block west of the only traffic light. The kids here seem to enjoy ripping the exhaust systems off their trucks to make them insanely noisy. When they do the loser-cruise at night they come off the main drag at the lights and pin it down the highway, right past our house.

While I enjoy a good-sounding exhaust setup, even loud, the ones these guys are running sound like shit. They have a nice low rumble at idle, then sound like an old drunk with the wet farts when they accelerate. If it was up to me every last one of them would be called in for a vehicle inspection and made to replace their exhaust.
 
Thanks alot............"loser cruise" and "old drunk with wet farts" caused me to spill coffee on my key board.
 
I used to love Calgary. However about 7 years ago I went through all the hoops and qualified as an RTC at CPRail. By the time I got it all done I had a good look around and decided it wasn't the Calgary I used to know and love and we never made the move. I have never regretted not moving there.

Sheldon
 
I have a neighbour a few houses down that has a stock 3500 Ram with the big diesel in it, factory mufflers and according to my sound meter, is over the 96 decibels limit. Wakes me up at 5AM during the week.

Ought to be interesting over the summer months.

Calgary only has one of these snares, so its installed where the majority of complaints arise.
 
Great stuff.....Not the bylaw, the big gap foam filler. 10 bucks with tax problem solved.
 
Oakville has a noise bylaw that comes into effect I think july 1st and they are testing anyone thats wants to come down for free,kind of a heads up but a lot of guys have said that they will just go around town instead of taking a chance at getting a ticket even with thier hotrods.I'm with Boyd on this one as I'm all for drag racing at the strip and running your hog down the hi-way but friday and saturday 2 am through the gears in or near a residential area is just plane stupid. My two cents

Randy
 
Most of the 'Rods' I see down the road or at s/s's I'm guessing would 'fail' the new 'letsmakecashfromanotherminoritygroupnoiseometer' so where are we going to stop?
This if ever is a time that ALL road users have to come together and stop the b/s.
That stock diesel making noise or that 'Iwantto protectmyselffromidiotcardriverssoi'llputloudpipesonmyhog" have to band together and tell this moronic council to start spending money on things that really matter and leave us alone.
While we as a group bitch and whine about other road users we'll lose plain and simple.
 
They set up the "snare" at the Fire Dept road test track today and there was a long line up of vehicles/bikes to see how much noise they would make under normal acceleration.

TV reporter was there and it was amazing on how many stock Harleys came in at over 98 decibels with factory pipes/mufflers.

As one tester put it, they need more testing under normal traffic conditions such as two bikes riding side by side, or a loud car next to a panel Van, going through the intersection. Wonder how the snare would preform then.

There are only two or three spots that will be targeted that account for almost 99% of the noise complaints, the main one being 17 Ave SW.

Classic case of using an expensive shotgun to maybe "snare" a few loud vehicles. Don't think anyone has done a cost/benefit analysis because if they did, they need a minimum of 1250 violations to pay for the snare. And from the stats I've seen, that could take a long time.
This is the result of one alderman grandstanding as all the complaints are in his ward. Trying to be a hero.
 
Last edited:
I say let 'em do whatever they want as long as they're enforcing existing bylaws.

Personally, I don't care how loud your exhaust is. Just don't buzz the neighborhood after 10pm or before 7am. (Our existing noise bylaw) Park your hotrod, Harley, fartcan or boom-box after hours and I'm good.

If you want silence 24/7, build a cabin in the woods.
 
I don't think the noise law will stick .Sound has too many variables and how can you prove the sound came from the vehicle in the pix . Well if your in the town of Orangeville ontario as of July 1st there is a fine for smoking on all of the towns property .So butt out as you drive through town or if your walking . :eek:

Who's got their hand in your wallet
 
[Classic case of using an expensive shotgun to maybe "snare" a few loud vehicles. Don't think anyone has done a cost/benefit analysis because if they did, they need a minimum of 1250 violations to pay for the snare.]

Not if every one that gets a ticket fights it. Just guessing but probley not far off average cost of court apearance to taxpayers 300 to 400 . This is the part I like even if you loose and have to pay the fine there still out money. Sometimes it just dosent get any better.Never been givin a ticket that I just payed . Allways sign the back not guilty. Dont care if i am or not but i can guranty you no one is going to make anything.
 
I can see it sticking only if it is treated the same as a police officer pulled them over and gave them 10 days to fix it. If they claim it is from somebody else, all they have to do is appear at any police station for a retest. Fix it or off the road. Loud pipes are one thing but I found one harley owner's bike was so loud, it actually hurt my ears from across the street when he took off. I'm talking about physical pain from the amount of noise he created. I could only imagine what it would be like in a vehicle beside him with the windows rolled down and maybe 5 feet away.

Russ
 
There is no way anyone is going to do a decible test on a public street and have it stick or they would of done it long ago. only requirement by law is you have baffels . Believe me ive played this game.Not being part of the criminal code or the highway trafic act now you have to find someone to inforce it.cops dont like to do metermaid work city bylaw crap and will tire of the job after being called alice and mister metermaid by the people he tickets and his colleagues city bylaw workers dont have the athourity to pull over moving vehicles.The hole thing is just stuped . if your going to waste money why not feed toefu and vedggie dogs to the homeless.
 
This all sounds fine and dandy, and looks real good in theory, BUT what sort of certification has this 'noise-o-meter' been put through?? I think if I got a ticket based on a reading from this thing, it better damn well have some sort of stamp from somewhere saying this is in fact exceeding 96 decibels and is accurate.

I am pretty sure after 5-6 beer and two bowls of chili I could exceed that reading and would graciously offer my services to Weights and Measures to ensure the accuracy of this apparatus. :)
 
Nice sunny day today and the HA have been rippin all over town. No cop cars following the group though. 30 hogs showing the colours and making all the noise they want. Doesn't bother me at all but if I can't make a noise then the little weiner by-law officer should go talk to the HA. Just sayin.