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The law is abundantly clear.

Installing a loud muffler and roaring past a Whyte Avenue patio is an offence, punishable with a ticket of $135. It’s a provincial offence to cause “excessive” noise, or to drive a vehicle with a muffler that has been widened in any way, and Edmonton now has the ability to take photos of the licence plate every time a souped-up car, truck or motorbike passes.

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So why is it so difficult to crack down?

The issue is heading back to city council’s community services committee Wednesday, with administration recommending at least another year of testing before rattled communities finally get a break.

That’s agonizingly slow and I think unnecessary. But give credit where its due — Edmonton has been innovative on this in recent years.

Pushed to finally take it seriously, the Office of Traffic Safety borrowed audio-visual technology and ran its first pilot project in 2016, testing if the city could use technology to crack down rather than pulling police officers from more life-and-death matters. In April 2018, council approved another year-long pilot project and a $150,000 equipment purchase.