Residents living near a busy stretch of Franklin Boulevard in Cambridge say non-stop truck traffic and late-night street racing are ruining their quality of life, prompting the region to investigate ways to reduce the noise. Neighbours living on Bakersfield Drive, which runs parallel to Franklin Boulevard near Myers Road, said the constant rumble has made enjoying their properties nearly impossible. “It’s constant. It’s just one after the other,” said resident Michelle Pauze. “We have a beautiful backyard that we’ve made, basically our outdoor oasis. And we just can’t enjoy it.” Pauze noted the volume of traffic and associated noise has escalated significantly over the six years since she started living there. Fellow resident Leslie Biggs said it’s hard to miss the disruption caused by heavy transport trucks using engine compression brakes to slow down as they approach a roundabout at Franklin and Myers. “It sounds like it’s a street racetrack,” Biggs said. “That’s what it sounds like until there’s a transport coming down and then they’ve got their engine brakes on and the windows are shaking, the house is shaking.” Biggs said it is even louder at night. She said the nighttime disturbance is affecting her family’s health. “My son has epilepsy and he needs nighttime REM sleep,” Biggs said. “We have to have the windows closed in order for him not to be disturbed by loud mufflers, by motorcycles, by the transporters.” Beyond noise, residents raised safety concerns regarding high-speed traffic along the corridor. “[A] couple of the houses behind me on this side of the road have had cars go right through their backyards and land on their decks,” Biggs said. Cambridge City Councillor Scott Hamilton acknowledged that resident complaints have mounted over time, particularly following recent traffic rerouting. “The complaints are certainly escalating,” Hamilton said. “They’ve certainly gotten worse ever since the McQueen Shaver bypass basically has directed large trucks from Highway 24 over here right down Franklin.” In 2024, the Region of Waterloo said since the truck bypass route opened, they’ve seen a 20 to 25 per cent reduction in trucks through the downtown. But now residents said trucks are going down Franklin instead, to their dismay. In response to the growing concerns, Cambridge City Council recently unanimously passed a motion, brought forward by Coun. Hamilton, to work jointly with the Region of Waterloo to identify potential solutions. “The region understands that this corridor is important to the daily lives of nearby residents, and we take these concerns seriously,” the region said, in part, in a statement. The region noted Franklin Boulevard did not meet the criteria for noise walls when it was reconstructed a decade ago. “Since then, truck restrictions in downtown Cambridge have changed traffic patterns, with more trucks using designated regional corridors, including Franklin Boulevard,” the region said. Regional staff are currently conducting a comprehensive noise study. The study is expected to be completed by the end of the summer and will determine whether noise mitigation is warranted, what measures are required and protentional associated costs.
