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Debate about speed on Lakeshore Drive becomes noisy squabble over mufflers

'It’s literally muffler after muffler after muffler,' said Coun. Natalie Harris of Barrie's Lakeshore Drive
2020-05-11 Lakeshore Drive RB 3
Lakeshore Drive looking south from Victoria Street in Barrie. Raymond Bowe/BarrieToday

Talks by city councillors to curtail speed on Barrie’s Lakeshore Drive nose-dived into a noise discussion before gearing down to request for a staff report Monday.

Coun. Keenan Aylwin’s motion to reduce Lakeshore Drive’s speed limit to 30 kilometres an hour between Simcoe and Tiffin streets, or 20 km/h slower than the current speed limit of 50 km/h, was discussed but never voted upon.

Neither was a motion for a six-month pilot project for a 40 km/h speed limit on this stretch of Lakeshore Drive.

Instead, councillors asked for a staff report on speed reduction on Lakeshore Drive - even though noise is the problem.

“This is not rocket science, we have a big problem with noisy vehicles on the waterfront and the cops need to write a ton of tickets,” said Mayor Jeff Lehman. “The issue is that we need to stop people who have illegal mufflers from ruining everybody’s life who lives along the waterfront.

“This is a nuisance, it’s not a crime, it’s not a matter of life safety, but it’s a nuisance and it’s a huge nuisance. It has a huge impact on the quality of life for people who live on the waterfront.”

Aylwin, who represents this part of Barrie, has said he’s received complaints about speeders, safety and noise on this section of Lakeshore Drive since being elected in 2018.

“A lower speed limit does reduce the noise level of the vehicle,” he said. “With condo buildings along the waterfront, the sound travels up … and it’s almost amplified as it goes up the side of the buildings.”

Coun. Natalie Harris said she lived in one of the condos by the lakeshore for a short period of time, and moved.

“I had to close my windows at night. It’s literally muffler after muffler after muffler,” she said. “It was just so bad, so unbelievably bad to the point where I just couldn’t even enjoy my beautiful view of the lakeshore. This wasn’t just a nuisance.”

But Deputy Mayor Barry Ward said a 30 km/h speed limit wouldn’t work, and suggested the six-month pilot project at 40 km/h.

“I do think 30 is unrealistic…nobody is going to go 30 on there, it’s not going to happen, 40 is maybe more realistic,” he said. “I don’t think anybody is going to go 30, I think that’s encouraging people to break the law.”

Coun. Jim Harris pointed out there are five stoplights along this 1.7-km stretch of Lakeshore Drive which slows traffic.

Couns. Gary Harvey, Mike McCann and Robert Thomson said they wanted a staff report.

“It is dangerous that we start changing things without staff reports,” Thomson said.

“I will not be supporting it without a staff report,” McCann said of a speed reduction. “I believe we need more enforcement to stop the flow.”

Lehman said he will raise the matter at this month’s Barrie Police Services board meeting June 17.

City council will consider final approval of a staff report on Lakeshore Drive speed reduction at its June 14 meeting.