Throughout the summer, Lynn Moynihan said her nights were disturbed by the loud "gun-like noises" of vehicles racing along Yonge Street and Mulock Drive in Newmarket.
“It seems to be everywhere,” she said. “I don’t know what it is they do to these vehicles to generate this sound.”
Other Newmarket residents are also expressing concern about "racing" on Yonge, as well as other main roads in Newmarket. The issue has led to noise complaints from residents about the vehicles, allegedly motorcycles and some cars.
In her letter to the editor, Yonge resident L. Steele said it's "a nightmare" every night, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with the "deafening" noise of motorcyles racing on the street.
“We hear them on Davis Drive as well,” another resident who wrote to NewmarketToday said. “Why is this not stopped? Especially the racing up and down the streets.”
York Regional Police Const. Maniva Armstrong said they have not received complaints about vehicles, noises, or racing in those areas, but citizens are urged to report dangerous driving.
“We encourage any members of our community to contact police for dangerous drivers and or drivers engaged in street racing,” Armstrong said. “Our officers on patrol are in our community to enforce the laws and make every effort to stop motorists not adhering to the rules of the road.”
The police force launched a project this summer, ERASE, to address street racing and stunt driving. The project involves officers on the ground and the York Regional Police helicopter patrolling to find vehicles setting up for races or driving at excessive speeds.
Newmarket manager of regulatory services Flynn Scott said the town has only received seven calls on street racing since 2014. He said the town relies on police to address racing on streets, and that the town noise bylaw is meant to address things like parties.
"While we have provisions in our bylaw for vehicle alterations which produce enhanced noise, our powers are limited and we need to rely on the Highway Traffic Act to properly address those violations accordingly," he said. "The town respects that street racing is not acceptable and we will be connecting with community partners to see how we can address it together."
But some residents maintain that racing and the accompanying noise are an ongoing problem.
“It is impossible to leave windows open for air. It is impossible to get to sleep, even with the windows closed, and it is dangerous to pedestrians and sane drivers,” Steele wrote in a letter to the editor. “
Tim Heintzberger is an organizer for Newmarket bike nights, a gathering of area motorbikes that meet on Yonge Street Thursday nights throughout the summer, garnering hundreds to a large parking lot. He said the group tries to avoid causing any trouble and is amicable with police.
But he said there are "bad apples" out there, that might represent less than one per cent of bikers.
"We realize there are a few people in residential areas that may not be happy, but those are from those one per cent people who rev their engines," he said. "We all condone the police coming in and taking care of these people. These people shouldn't be causing trouble."
Others say vehicle noise is a part of living in a busy part of town.
“Some folks have to sleep by airports, and train tracks, and you guys are all crying over some cars and motorcycles,” one commenter said on social media.
Moynihan said it tends to be a summer concern, adding that police presence is lacking from what she has viewed.
“I never see police cars on Yonge Street,” she said. “Whether it’s at night or day.”
This summer in Barrie, police conduct enhanced enforcement, focusing on modified vehicles, and loud vehicles in particular. After one evening in July, 29 charges were laid for noisy vehicles. Citizens there with concerns about noisy vehicles can fill out an online traffic complaint form to help police determine the areas where noisy vehicles are being driven.
