Calgary police cracking down on excessive vehicle noise on 17th Avenue throughout August

Calgary's Traffic Safety Team is ramping up enforcement along 17th Avenue SW throughout August and into September, targeting the modified exhausts, excessive revving, and loud stereos that have plagued the Red Mile.

Beginning this week, officers will monitor the stretch running from 14th Street SW to McLeod Trail during afternoons and evenings, focusing on Thursday through Sunday. Common violations carry a $270 fine; drivers who refuse a roadside noise test face a $300 penalty.

Inspector Bradley Johnson, head of the Traffic Safety Team, said the enforcement blitz—dubbed Operation Silent Night—responds to mounting complaints from residents, businesses, and city council. "17th is a hot spot for noise generation in the city of Calgary," Johnson said. "With all the complaints associated to noisy vehicles, motorcycle noise, business owners having concerns for patrons on patios, it seemed like a pretty apparent spot that we should start our noise enforcement."

Officers assess noise using decibel meters, body-worn cameras, and in-vehicle cameras. The Traffic Bylaw, updated in January 2025 to define "objectionable noise," sets limits: any sound from a motor vehicle cannot exceed 92 decibels as measured 50 centimetres from the exhaust outlet while the engine is idling, or 96 decibels at the same distance while the engine is at any speed greater than idle.

The Traffic Safety Team, created in March 2025 with eight peace officers, two sergeants, and one inspector, issued more than 4,000 tickets in its first year—mostly for speeding and playground-zone safety. Noise violations have been sparse by comparison. Johnson said the operation's success won't be measured by ticket volume, but by feedback from residents and business owners and whether measured noise levels decrease. The city has not specified how many noise-related tickets the team has issued since March 2025.