In daylight hours, and with the transport helicopters now extending operating hours well into the evening, these flights have become extremely active. Council should direct the Legal Services Department to re-draft the wording of the Motor Vehicle Noise Abatement By-Law so that it lends itself more easily to the prosecution of noise violations. The City should amend the Plumbing and/or Building By-Law to control the position of all air conditioning, pumps and vents, placing them where they will present no noise problems. The City should strictly enforce the existing policy and control over illegal vendors. Recommendation 6.3 The Vancouver Police non-emergency line is 604-717-3321. There is a wide disparity in the noise produced by truck and bus types. Truck braking devices, such as engine, "Jake" or Jacobs brakes, are covered under the Motor Vehicle Noise Abatement By-Law. The City Engineering Department should ensure that roads are smooth, in good condition and free from potholes and seams that cause noise. 6. Recommendation 13.10 City Engineering staff should investigate new technologies in quieter road materials and implement a pilot project utilizing a "quiet" road surface. 14. Recommendation 13.15 Chain saws One site should be in front of City Hall, and another site might be chosen at a quieter location. Recommendation 13.8 While the Task Force endorses the police and emergency uses, trivial use of helicopters (e.g., for the movie industry or for convenience) is discouraged. The Environmental Health Division should measure and monitor traffic noise at major arterials throughout the city and develop a traffic noise map of Vancouver to determine the acoustical quality of major traffic areas. (See also Recommendation 7.3. (Also see Recommendation 21.1 on backup signals.). Are such imaginative solutions beyond our capabilities? These consultations contributed to the preparation of an Interim Report released in mid-summer 1996. While the Task Force endorses the police and emergency uses, trivial use of helicopters (e.g., for the movie industry or for convenience) is discouraged. Recommendation 13.19 ), Excerpt from letter to the Task Force on aircraft noise. The number of tour buses producing noise and exhaust pollution is a serious threat to the environment in city parks and the daily parade around Stanley Park has reached the saturation point. Recommendation 29.2 Recommendation 6.3 The Environmental Health Division should measure and monitor traffic noise at major arterials throughout the city and develop a traffic noise map of Vancouver to determine the acoustical quality of major traffic areas. Bibliographic information. The City should request organizations promoting energy-efficient housing to incorporate demonstrations of noise attenuation measures in so far as they also promote energy conservation. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of the noise produced by buses and trucks. Recommendation 13.26 These may consist of built up earth mounds, or concrete walls or fences, with or without landscaping. Territorial limitations and/or limitations on frequency of trips should be explored. While research and development of electric vehicles is being undertaken in B.C., it would appear timely to extend support to a demonstration service. The City should prohibit inside loudspeakers which project sound outside of the premises. Council should encourage periodic campaigns by the police throughout the city with a focus on noise problems occurring in residential neighbourhoods. Recommendation 13.12 Note: The following recommendations are intended to create a quiet environmental state during a consistent period on Sundays and holidays. The exposure of most residents and parks would then be reduced to the noise associated with level cruising flight. Vehicles operating without effective mufflers are a constant and particularly irritating source of specific vehicle noise. Quiet parks Recommendation 21.2 Recommendation 44.7 Recommendation 31.1 Recommendation 36.5 Idling vehicles While research and development of electric vehicles is being undertaken in B.C., it would appear timely to extend support to a demonstration service. However, the regulation is not adequately enforced, and the number and frequency of offences by tour buses is causing extreme hardship to residents of the West End in particular. With the turbine, a gear arrangement can be provided to reduce propellor rpm on take-off, a source of noise. Interviewee Recommendation 8.1 The City should look to revising the Truck By-Law to include restrictions on smaller trucks, and hours of use. The City should require that large air horns be used only as necessary. Recommendation 24.2 These buildings are required to achieve certain indoor sound levels through the use of suitable insulation and glazing materials and techniques. The City should request organizations promoting energy-efficient housing to incorporate demonstrations of noise attenuation measures in so far as they also promote energy conservation. : Police Department; Item: PD 563 - Report of the Vancouver Hospital Survey Commission upon the hospital situation of Greater Vancouver; Item: PD 566 - Vancouver telecommunications plan; Item: PD 567 - Snow removal and ice control manual; Item: PD 568 - Point Grey erosion control study 1970 The police can take action on a car whose alarm is sounding if it is on public property. This provision has proven problematic for staff to measure and enforce. Vancouver has a number of helicopter ports within its boundaries, at Coal Harbour and at places such as hospitals (to be used for emergency transport only) and the RCMP headquarters. Short haul or "commuter" transports with propeller turbine power plants produce considerably less noise beyond airport boundaries. The public survey also found that, city-wide, six out of ten residents do not believe that the use of sirens could be safely reduced. The sounds emitted from faulty and certain after-market muffler equipment are accentuated at high speed. The City should ensure that trucks and buses remain in designated trucking routes by improved signage and increased commercial vehicle enforcement in problem areas. Recommendation 36.2 The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of the noise produced by buses and trucks. The Parks Board should increase public awareness of existing and future quiet parklands, using more signs in the designated areas. Recommendation 5.3 Some are tolerable while others produce physical pain in the ears of bystanders. Compared with the jets, they are not a serious problem when flights are restricted to paths at a reasonable height over residential areas. The City should communicate to B.C. Apart from road traffic, another major issue was noise related to air transportation in Coal Harbour; the creation of a Noise Management Committee, similar to the YVR Noise Management Committee, is recommended to resolve these issues. The City should establish a database for a history of complaints in order to assess appropriate penalties. City representatives should undertake to ensure, in conjunction with Transport Canada, that serious consideration be given to the installation, in areas where complaints are chronic, of noise monitors to display or record noise levels of aircraft originating/arriving at Coal Harbour or passing overhead so that remedial measures can be based on hard data (as is now done around major airports across Canada). 41. The City should authorize apprehension of noisy vehicles for reasonable cause and require expeditious presentation of vehicles to testing facilities. The City should consult with industry for these and other measures. Vehicles operating without effective mufflers are a constant and particularly irritating source of specific vehicle noise. City staff should negotiate with provincial authorities to determine what measures are required to enforce the section of the Motor Vehicle Act which states that it is forbidden to operate a vehicle in a manner that causes "any loud or unnecessary noise." Recommendation 14.7 The wording of the by-law does not lend itself to ease of prosecution, due to ambiguous language. They are not dealt with adequately in present by-laws. These may consist of built up earth mounds, or concrete walls or fences, with or without landscaping. Parking Ticket or Bylaw Notice. Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Recommendation 13.25 Under the Motor Vehicle Act it is forbidden to operate a vehicle in a manner that causes "any loud or unnecessary noise." The City should authorize apprehension of noisy vehicles for reasonable cause and require expeditious presentation of vehicles to testing facilities. Recommendation 14.4 Where alternative, quieter methods of work are not practical, there is the opportunity to use sound-treated tools. Recommendation 13.8 The wording of the by-law does not lend itself to ease of prosecution, due to ambiguous language. The City should strictly enforce the existing requirements for owners of revenue property. The City should require strict enforcement of the Noise By-Law provisions related to construction. With the current emphasis on a reduction of traffic volume and the measures proposed to accomplish this, reference is seldom made to the consequent impact on traffic noise. to February 9, 2021) The public survey also found that, city-wide, six out of ten residents do not believe that the use of sirens could be safely reduced. Noisy parties 14. The City should work with the B.C. Traffic noise mitigation Recommendation 13.13 Although this may be viewed as interference in the "free market" system we currently have, it could be modified to equitably distribute the waste collection among existing service providers. In Santa Barbara, California, state-of-the-art battery-powered "trams" provide a popular service along the main routes favoured by shoppers and tourists. Further, we find no reason for the idling restraint to be limited to diesel buses. Noisy parties on board a boat, of any description, should be handled in the same manner as a noisy house party. Recommendation 41.2 There is a growing presence of helicopters in and over Vancouver. Recommendation 34.2 Recommendation 41.1 Recommendation 13.23 Recommendation 17.2 problem, as it is difficult to apprehend offenders. (See also Recommendations 5.1 and 5.2.) Despite all this, the issue of traffic noise is one which tends to generate shrugs of indifference and comments along the lines of "Yes, but what can be done about it?". Recommendation 41.2 The City should work with the B.C. Motorcycle noise is often regarded as the worst offender, although only a relatively small portion of the motorcycle-riding public is responsible. Recommendation 45.5 Recommendation 13.19 If the former are well within the capabilities of the manufacturers, why must the latter be tolerated? Regulating actions Recommendation 14.2 (See Figure 16. Recommendation 42.3 The City should request the Province to set noise emission standards for modified vehicles under the Motor Vehicle Act. With the current emphasis on a reduction of traffic volume and the measures proposed to accomplish this, reference is seldom made to the consequent impact on traffic noise. The City should communicate to B.C. An informal process is currently utilized in extreme cases which involves police, health officers, a locksmith and technician from the security company disabling the alarm system. Recommendation 14.1 Recommendation 13.6 For new buildings, the building permit process should control the location of air conditioning, heat pumps and vents, but in existing units there are no effective controls. 42. The City should request the Province to set noise emission standards for modified vehicles under the Motor Vehicle Act. Raising the "floor" of the approach corridors over Stanley Park would help. The Task Force proposes the following solutions. The City should require noise insulation to surround the establishment, inside walls, ceiling and flooring. The wording of the by-law does not lend itself to ease of prosecution, due to ambiguous language. Recommendation 6.1 Recommendation 33.2 The City should request Transport Canada to appoint a committee or board with representatives from the community and all the agencies involved, including the City of Vancouver, to address the concerns related to air traffic in Coal Harbour. Recommendation 14.2 The Noise Control Bylaw defines how much noise is acceptable, based on the location, the noise source, and the time and day. The sixth task in the Terms of Reference was to seek public input. Recommendation 11.3 The City should encourage a more positive qualitative evaluation of restaurants and other locations to identify places with low sound levels or particularly attractive acoustic qualities, this being an ideal project for collaboration with a group such as the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA), whose members often cannot find suitable social venues where conversation is possible.