Deep River’s pilot project allowing all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles to drive on municipal roadways has been such a success, the town is considering making it permanent.
That’s the recommendation on the table at this week’s meeting of town council, which approved the pilot project three years ago.
The pilot project saw ATVs and OVRs permitted on certain roads and trails approved by the municipality, while restricting access to other areas such as parks, playgrounds, beaches and trails.
The freedom to roam ran from May 1 to November 30 each year, with speeds limited to 20 km/hour, and not at night.
The report on this week’s agenda notes that, since the pilot project’s implementation, the town has received 11 formal complaints related to ATVs and OVRs, as well as several anecdotal complaints related to matters such as excessive speed and riding in prohibited areas.
The report also points out, however, that all formal complaints were investigated and resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned, and that town staff have spent an estimate of just 27 hours each year investigating and resolving complaints related to ATVs and OVRs.
The report notes that the purpose of the pilot project was to evaluate the potential impacts of allowing ATVs and OVRs on municipal roadways, particularly in residential areas.
“Based on operational experience since 2023, the pilot demonstrated limited negative impacts and a generally high level of compliance with the established regulations,” the report states…
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