With Chatham-Kent's Trial ATV bylaw trial period ending, staff want to hear what residents think of the off-road system.
Chatham-Kent council elected to introduce the year-long trial bylaw in March 2016. While CK police have been monitoring the new rules' impact on crime, municipal staff have set up an online survey to get the public's opinion on ATVs.
"[We ask] 'are you in favour of off-road vehicles operating on Chatham-Kent highways?' Then we ask questions about: 'do you own an off-road vehicle, what type of off-road vehicle and what purpose do you use the vehicle,'" explains Infrastructure Services Manager Chris Thibert.
Specifically, staff want to know if their list of accessible roads makes sense. Currently, ATV riders are prohibited from any streets or roadways in Chatham, along with highways like Hwy. 40 and Hwy. 401. Thibert says they want to know if this list should be expanded to other roadways as well.
"Are there any actual roadways where off-road vehicles should be restricted, in addition to the ones that are already identified? Or are there any restricted roadways the vehicles should be permitted on," says Thibert.
So far, over 200 residents have participated in the survey. It will be posted to the Chatham-Kent website until December 31.
