'I think this is just being a part of downtown': 17th Avenue business owners aren't hearing noise reduction after summer crackdown

A summer crackdown on noisy vehicles along 17th Avenue lowered the volume, but business owners say the improvement barely registers.

The City of Calgary released the results of Operation Silent Night on Tuesday, which saw the city’s Traffic Safety Team partner with the Calgary Police Service to target excessive vehicle noise and unsafe driving along the busy downtown corridor. The enforcement blitz took place from August to September, with officers using a noise monitor in Tompkins Park to track noise levels at peak hours. 

But business owners say they have noticed little difference. Jennifer Leblond, owner of Steeling Home, said she attributed the noise reduction to the changing of the seasons. 

“I didn’t really notice a reduction. I honestly thought it was more about the winter coming and people putting away their fancy cars and their motorcycles,” she said.

According to the city’s results, loud vehicle events fell by a little over 25 per cent when compared to data from 2025, dropping from 357 events in 2025 to 267 in 2026. Overall, loud vehicle events decreased by almost 11 per cent, from 801 to 715.

Average sound levels during enforcement hours also fell from 71.18 to 68.80 decibels, a reduction of 2.38 decibels. According to HearCanada, a whisper is roughly 30 decibels. 

“The results show that when drivers understand the rules and see a visible enforcement presence, we can make a meaningful difference in reducing excessive vehicle noise and improving the quality of life for residents and businesses,” Brad Johnson, head of the Traffic Safety Team, said in the city’s news release.

The operation resulted in 240 tickets, including 41 noise-related violations and 40 warnings, according to a September news release from the city.

Morgan Haight, whose mother, Pamela Haight, co-owns Rubaiyat, said the noise can make it difficult for businesses to operate. Revving engines can drown out conversations and phone calls, while the disturbance can take away from the experience of walking along the avenue.

She noted that the noise has affected her mother’s hearing on one side, adding that she’s seen her mother and customers covering their ears when vehicles speed past.

Morgan said she appreciates the city’s effort but wants to see an approach that includes input from the people who live there. 

“It’s got to be a longer-term project, and also speaking to neighbours and businesses about what’s going on, not just monitoring it,” she said. “We see more things at certain times that they wouldn’t be privy to.”

Pamela agreed that the operation was a good start, but said more enforcement is needed along the increasingly pedestrian-friendly street. She would like to see officers on foot in the neighbourhood, building relationships with businesses and residents.

And most of all, people need to slow down.

“People need to, I think, be really patient with one another, and keep that in mind because it doesn’t do anybody any good to go screeching around,” she said. 

For Leblond, addressing excessive noise should not come at the expense of the avenue’s character. She said the lively atmosphere is part of 17th Avenue’s “charm,” even as drivers rev their engines and show off their vehicles.

“I think this is just part of being downtown,” she said. “I like that it’s a busy street. My fear is that the city or people will start curtailing us because it is a vibrant community and that we need more safeguards. I don’t really want to go in that direction.”

The Traffic Safety Team shifted its focus to playground zone safety and education in September, with its goal on curtailing speeding.