I was in town to pay my electric bill on the 5th and passed a woman and kid who had been stopped by the city police. I have no idea why the police wanted to talk to her, but it did raise a concern for me. Do ATV riders need to work harder to protect our freedoms in Alaska? I’m not sure just how we would manage it, but I do think it would be a shame if a few careless young riders were to force all of us who ride with care and respect to loose the freedoms we enjoy.
In 2009, Wasilla police issued between 40 and 50 citations to ATV riders that operated their ATVs in unsafe manners in the city limits, including speeding and driving on sidewalks.
In an Anchorage Daily News article, Council members in Wasilla said that they did not want to see ATVs banned entirely, as has been done in Palmer and Anchorage, but they would like to see some more regulations placed on their use.
Currently, ATVs are restricted to operate only on allowed trails along the highway and must limit their speeds to a maximum of 10 MPH on the trails, and 5 MPH maximum when crossing through parking lots.
According to the Wasilla Municipal Code 10.12.020 Off-road vehicle operation, it is unlawful to operate an off-road vehicle in the city on private or public property without the express or implied consent of the owners or their representatives, except on city street rights-of-ways unless posted to be against use by ATVs.
The code further states that off-road vehicles may not be operated on a road or sidewalk unless such use is necessary to go around an obstruction or for the purpose of crossing the roadway in a safe manner that includes full stop and yielding to all pedestrian and other traffic.
ATVs are limited to no more than 10 MPH on trails within the city, 5 MPH in parking lots and near pedestrian traffic, and must be operated and maintained in such a manner that they do not cause a noise disturbance in the city.
Further – off-road vehicles entering the city must be equipped with proper safety measures including working brakes and headlights and tail lights, both properly aligned and providing sufficient visibility to the rider and to others of the vehicle’s presence.
Wasilla is not the only city to allow ATV use, other cities that I have found that have managed to get along with ATVs include:
This is by no means a complete list, only the first few I found in a basic Google Search for cities that allow ATV use in their city limits.
At the moment, Wasilla is pretty relaxed in their rules for ATV use in the city limits. Just check some of the other city rules on ATV use. If we want to keep our freedom, then I think it is important for those who operate ATVs in the city to keep in mind that they are enjoying the ability to get where they need to go for pennies compared to the cost of making the same commute with even the most fuel efficient car.
I filled my ATV tank for under $10 yesterday and it provided me enough gas to make four trips to town and back. That same amount in the car would have made one single trip to town and back.
Parents need to make sure their kids obey the rules of ATV use in the city, and those of us who are old enough to act like adults need to do so and obey the rules of ATV use in the city. I enjoy the ability to ride from my home in Houston to Wal Mart on the other side of Wasilla, with stops at the bank and utility companies along the way. A trip I can make for under $3 in fuel by riding my ATV. Please, let’s all work together to obey the rules and set new standards of conduct to assure that ATV riders are able to continue to enjoy the freedoms we currently have.
My own personal rules from the day I got my ATV have meant I do my best to stay off the paved trails unless it is an emergency (damaged ATV that needs to limp home), I slow down to a speed that will cause zero dust when passing in front of businesses and homes, and I stay slow enough on trails to avoid creating dust that will drift onto the highway and could pose a danger to vehicles. I have seen the riders that kick up so much dust the cars on the highway are hit by a blinding dust cloud. There is never an excuse for that and ATV riders as a community need to make sure we monitor ourselves and our children when they use the machines if we want to keep our freedoms in Alaska and the ability to ride into Wasilla to pay the monthly bills and shop for groceries.
[...] visibility to the rider and to others of the vehicle's … … Continued here: Do we need to protect ATV rights in Alaska? : Phantascene ← CPSIA – Hypocrisy on Display [...]