4.3. SR 08-19-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Memo to the Mayor and City Council ATV and Snowmobile Regulations Page 2 Statutory Regulations- Snowmobiles Under State Statute, snowmobiles may be ridden on the outside slope of a trunk, county state aid or county highway. The Statute allows for counties and cities to impose regulations for snowmobile operation on county highways, public lands and waterways and property under their jurisdiction and on streets and highways also within their jurisdiction (Section 84.87, Subd.3.). Statutory Regulations - All Terrain Vehicles (al TVs) Under State Statute, ATVs may be ridden in the ditch or outside slope of a trunk, county state aid, or county highway. They may be ridden within the public fight of way of atrunk, county state aid, or county highway if they are registered for agricultural use, but not from April 1 to August 1 unless they are traveling to and from work on agricultural lands. As with snowmobiles, a city may prohibit the use of ATVs on its public streets, or on public lands, waters, or property within its jurisdiction provided the rules are consistent with State Statute (Section 84.928, Subd. 6.). Elk River Constraints The City is continuing to become more urban in nature; however, people are attracted to the City due to its dose proximity to rural areas. Both snowmobile and ATV riders utilize two major corridors, Highway 169 and Highway 10. With two rivers and a lake, it is difficult to connect these two corridors. The barriers to City-wide ATV and snowmobile use and regulation are: a. densely populated urban core, b. highly trafficked corridors (Highways 10 and 169), c. the Elk and Mississippi Rivers, and Lake Orono, and d. multiple county roads that lead into the urban core e. railroad tracks There are however, properties within the urban core that are larger and may allow the use of ATVs or snowmobiles. Many properties are also adjacent to county roads that lead to high- use corridors. In addition, many ATV and snowmobile riders come from outside the corporate limits of the City. Re_eulation Options In order to regulate both ATV and snowmobile use, it is important to balance private property rights and impacts to adjacent residences. On a 20 or 40 acre parcel outside the urban core, the use of these vehicles is unlikely to have great impacts on adjacent properties versus on an urban size lot. There are three options to consider: Implement an outright ban (simplest), Provide no regulation, or Allow limited use in specific areas (either south of 33 or limiting uses to the Urban Service District).