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Motorcycle and Racing Car Noise: Let's find a solution

Motorcycle and Car Racing Meeting Notes  October 15, 2026

Organized and Moderated by:  Nora Lee Copeland Park Community Association Partners:  Stephen Harrod, President,  Andrea Gowing Guests:  City Councillor for College Ward (Ward 8) -  Laine Johnson 

Candidate for City Councillor for College Ward (Ward 8) - Abakar Malloum

Nora welcomed the 22 attendees, guests, and CPCA board members.  She  gave a brief  introduction to the meeting and its purpose as well as some background.

Attendees were asked to provide ideas or to make remarks on sticky notes, which were gathered at the end of the meeting.  Andrea kept track of information and thoughts on a flipchart, which will be provided within this document.

The first step was to focus on noise.  

  1. Modified mufflers      
  2. Racing motorcycles
  3. Noises include sounds like gunshots, fireworks, bike revving, backfiring mufflers.

Also focus on speed, are they at Street Racing speeds?

Laine Johnson

She is personally familiar with this issue.  Kids in the neighbourhood want to be able to explore the area on foot and on bicycle.  How safe is it for them to do this with speeding cars and motorcycles?  She lives close to the Queensway, so hears the noise on weekends and some weeknights, especially during the summer.  There is currently a Community Safety Zone (CSZ) on Maitland Ave.  CSZs in Ottawa are specially designated road segments—usually near schools and parks—where fines for speeding and traffic violations are doubled.  The designated CSZ on Maitland Avenue in Ottawa is located on the section stretching from a point 55 metres north of the intersection of Maitland Avenue and Woodward Drive to a point 68m south of the intersection of Maitland Avenue and Clyde Avenue under City of Ottawa By-law No. 2019-397.  Dealing with traffic issues requires attention to the 3Es: Engineering, Education and Enforcement. 

Question:  Can anything be done about the meetups in the parking lots on Merivale?

Laine:  Has had discussions with the police about meetups. Because the meetups are on private property, they have little jurisdiction, except for crimes, fights, drug dealing etc.  The police have  talked to the property owners.  If the property owners put up No Loitering signs, then the police can act on the meetups.  Meetups are organized through WhatsApp, and groups use this to notify others when police are on their way.  

Meetups are a problem across the city.  There have only been 7 Car Meetups  broken up across the city this year.  Specific names of people at a meetup can be reported to the Ottawa Police on their website.

Question:  Some meetups are happening on the on ramps to the Queensway.  The city police have no jurisdiction on the ramps, only OPP can enforce here.  Speedlimit of 100km starts at the beginning of the ramp.

Abakar Malloum:  The issue is a city issue, but a lot is under provincial jurisdiction. Not a lot a councillor can do. 

Question:   How do we engage the Provincial Government?

Laine:  Community action is important**.   Scott Phelan**  at the Ontario Desk

Also, use the Mayor to get to the Premier.

Question:  Can we talk about Maitland Ave and the Glenmount/Erindale intersection?

Laine:  Overall the traffic on Maitland is crazy, and it is going to escalate.  With the new developments on Baseline and Merivale, traffic is going to increase.  When a developer applies and plans for a new apartment or condo building(s), traffic is not considered.  Increased density increases the volume of traffic.

Question:  Can a protected left turn lane be installed in both directions at Glenmount and Erindale? 

Laine:  A protected left lane is very hard to get because of funding. This intersection was reviewed by engineers about 2 years ago and extensive interviews were done with neighbours.  The issue is the funding model.  We have fewer serious accidents, but make more money on our many less serious accidents, but, we do not receive any of that money because it goes to intersections with more serious accidents. 

Stephen Harrod thanked everyone for attending as well as Laine and Abakar.  He indicated support for the idea of developing an online accessible database where people could record noise when it is happening. This will provide data that will be easier for the police to act on. 

Suggestions/solutions from attendees for noise and speeding:

  1. Policing needs to be better and greater enforcement of the law!  Do not give warnings.

  2. We need names to complain to:  

    • Owners of the parking lots
    • OPP
    • OPS
    • Ontario Government 
    • City Planning

  4. We need to complain much more when the problem is happening.

  5. Volunteers with “fake” speed guns.

  6. Volunteers with water hoses (not actually spraying water on the road.).

  7. Station a cruiser in strategic places.

  8. Algonquin Police Foundations students practice on Maitland and Merivale.

  9. The traffic lights at Trinity United Church need to cycle or cycle faster.

  10. Hire summer students to count traffic and monitor noise level.

  11. The boulevards on Maitland at Erindale and Glenmount should be removed to widen the road and add turn lanes to each side turning onto Glenmount and Erindale.

  12. Reach out to Bel-Air Community Association.

  13. Develop an online database portal to collect information from the public regarding specific instances of noise and or speeding.  This could include sound recordings, videos and photos.

  14. Groups from the neighbourhood/community could speak to the owners of the businesses where meetups congregate.

  15. Invite business owners to a meeting like this one.

  16. Charge a toll for people using our neighbourhood roads to get to their homes in the suburbs.

  17. Use a noise detector with a camera and recorder. There is one being used in NY City and there is a pilot project using it in Toronto. SoundVue is the manufacturer. Fines can be sent to the offending vehicle. 

Resources:

Ottawa Police Services   

City of Ottawa 

Owners of the parking lot

  • Meadowlands Mall -  Salthill Capital - Marc Boudreau, Senior Manager, Leasing  416.922.5553  info@salthillcapital.com

Ontario Government 

OPP