Stephen Vance, Staff
A public meeting held on August 8 to allow residents an opportunity to offer their thoughts and concerns regarding a plan to allow off-road vehicles access to the downtown area of the municipality resulted in a revised plan that should keep residents, motorists, and ATV operators safer.
Last month Meaford council received a one-year review of the off-road vehicle bylaw passed on September 28 of last year. That bylaw allowed the use of off-road vehicles such as ATVs on municipal roads with the exception of the downtown core. Council was told that in the months since the bylaw was approved, no issues have been identified, and no complaints have been received.
While ATV operators were given access to all municipal roads outside of the urban area last year, many had expressed a desire to have access to the urban area in order to use fuel stations, restaurants, and downtown shops.
Council was presented with three options at their July 18 meeting – continue with the current prohibition of off-road vehicles in the downtown core; identify a specific route allowing access to downtown restaurants, shops, and fuel stations; or allowing off-road vehicles on all roads in the municipality.
Council opted for the second option which would have established routes from Grey Roads 12 and 7 to Sykes Street, however input by residents at the August 8 public meeting convinced council to approve a new option.
“I think this is great, but I think, looking at this, you’re going at it backwards,” suggested Meaford resident and retired OPP officer Bob Sewell. “You’re bringing them (ATV operators) into town along the main artery of your town. On the Friday of a long weekend, or Saturday of a long weekend, Sykes Street does get congested, and it could cause real problems.”
Sewell suggested to council that, rather than allowing off-road vehicles access to the Sykes Street area of Meaford’s downtown core with access points from Grey Roads 7 and 12, the municipality could instead allow access on all municipal streets with the exception of Sykes Street.
“It would be easier to enforce, having been there in my past life,” suggested Sewell.
Sewell reminded council that the maximum speed allowed for off-road vehicles in a posted 50 kilometre per hour zone is just 20 kilometres per hour, which not only helps keep pedestrians and automobile operators safe, but also keeps noise to a minimum.
ATV owner Dennis Knott agreed that use of municipal roads in the urban area aside from Sykes Street would be a safer approach.
“As a rider, I would feel safer on back streets versus the highway,” Knott told council.
Allowing the off-road vehicles use of all municipal roads in the urban area of the municipality would also solve another problem raised by residents at the meeting, who noted that under the initial plan approved by council, owners of off-road vehicles who reside in the urban area would be trapped, and would have to transport their ATVs by trailer to the access points at Grey Roads 7 or 12 in order to use their machines, however by opening up use of urban municipal roads, users can instead begin their ATV outing from their driveway.
Council accepted the input from residents and asked municipal staff to prepare a bylaw allowing ATVs on all urban streets with the exception of the downtown Sykes Street area for a one year pilot. That bylaw will come before council for consideration at a future meeting.
