Northcrest Estates residents are asking Prince Albert city councillors to take another look at truck noise on Second Avenue West after years of concerns about engine retarder brakes.
Janet Smith spoke to Executive Committee on Monday on behalf of residents at the condominium complex at 1901 1 1/2 Avenue West. She said residents have been dealing with excessive noise since the complex opened in 2009, especially from semis travelling down the hill on Second Avenue West between 22nd Street West and 15th Street West.
Smith said the issue is most noticeable when trucks use engine retarder brakes, commonly known as Jake brakes, while travelling through the area.
“Some heavy-duty vehicles, specifically the semis travelling northbound from 22nd Street West down the grade on Second Avenue West to 15th Street West, are using their Jake brakes during these hours,” Smith told the committee. “This is highly disruptive to our sleep.”
Smith said the problem is not the normal sound of traffic, but the sharper noise caused by heavy trucks and some loud passenger vehicles. She said the noise is especially frustrating in warmer months, when residents have windows open or want to sit outside on their decks.
The city’s noise bylaw lists quiet hours between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Smith said Jake brakes are being used during those hours, while engine retarder brakes are also being used during the day despite an existing city traffic bylaw.
Smith also told committee she believes some trucks may be operating with straight pipes, or without proper mufflers. She said provincial rules require heavy vehicles to have mufflers that effectively reduce combustion noise.
Residents are asking for larger signs that clearly reference the bylaw and possible fines. Smith suggested signs at city entrances on Highway 2 and Highway 3 northbound, along with another sign before the downgrade on Second Avenue West.
She said one existing sign at the Highway 3 city limits is small, and said she could not find a similar sign at the Highway 2 entrance. She also described the current sign near the grade as easy to miss.
“Blink and you’d had missed that one,” Smith said. “It’s that small.”
Smith also asked councillors to consider higher fines and stronger enforcement, possibly beginning with an enforcement blitz.
The request comes after councillors raised broader concerns in March about signage, visibility, and road safety in parts of Prince Albert, including major intersections, commercial areas, and school zones.
Coun. Troy Parenteau, who represents the area, said the issue was new to him because the original petition was submitted before he was elected. He said residents bringing concerns to council is “the purest form of democracy.”
Parenteau moved the matter forward after asking Public Works about the cost of larger signs. Jeff Da Silva, the city’s director of Public Works, said a larger sign could cost about $750.
The motion was revised several times during discussion. Executive Committee ultimately voted unanimously to have administration review signage and the possibility of increasing fines for engine retarder brake use in the city. Councillors also agreed to send the correspondence to Prince Albert Police Chief Patrick Nogier because police would be involved in enforcement.
Coun. Tony Head said Smith’s request was reasonable and said the issue is already covered by city bylaws.
“I think we should be enforcing it,” Head said. “It is a part of our laws already.”
Coun. Darren Solomon said he has also noticed engine retarder brakes being used in the area. He said a previous letter from former mayor Greg Dionne suggested raising the fine from $100 to $500, and said he would support that increase.
Solomon said the issue becomes more noticeable as the weather warms and residents open their windows.
Mayor Bill Powalinsky apologized to Smith and other residents for how long the issue has continued. He said two other residents from the area had recently raised similar concerns with him.
“I’m so sorry that this issue has bounced and bounced and bounced for such a long period of time,” Powalinsky said.
Powalinsky also thanked Smith for bringing possible solutions forward, not just a complaint.
Deputy Mayor Bryce Laewetz said council may need to have a broader discussion about the hill and truck traffic. He said heavy trucks coming down the grade may sometimes face traffic or a train crossing ahead, creating safety considerations separate from the noise issue.
Smith said residents understand there may be times when a truck driver has to use brakes for safety, but said many trucks can make it down the hill without causing the same level of noise if drivers choose the proper gear. She said she recently watched an unloaded flat-deck truck roar down the hill with its retarder brakes, followed about five minutes later by a B-train that came down quietly.
“You wouldn’t even have known that he was coming down that hill,” Smith said of the second truck. “There is a difference in driver capability.”
The motion passed unanimously.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
