At its February 28 meeting, Huntsville’s General Committee is scheduled to hear from a delegation that will bring forward a petition asking the municipality to give ATVs access to the downtown core.
The petition will ask councillors to allow ATVs to travel from one side of the Town to the other using Ravenscliffe Road, West Road, Centre Street, Veterans Way and Brunelle Road.
According to the agenda, the petition to be presented contains 255 signatures.
Members of the public can watch the meeting online, HERE.
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I see fourteen comments; thirteen are against A,T.V. s .and I see that the petetion contains 255 for A.T.V.s . I wonder how the council will vote . 255 for to 13 against it will be interesting. Good luck councillors
See the public health unit statement from Doppler July 6, 2022.
The facts speak for themselves.
Please council do not consider, have trial run, or any other questionable decision.
Do your homework!
As a benefit to commerce, baloney!
I’ve never seen an ATV going down the road with TVs, sofas, groceries,chairs,Christmas decorations or anything else.
The only reason would be alcohol and food, look at the statistics for atv injuries and alcohol.
When I first read this I imagined it may have been a tongue-in-cheek comment regarding the state of some of our roads. But it seems that at least 255 people are serious! Be interesting to know the age group. Can’t imagine asking my wife to mount up and churn through downtown Huntsville on an ATV. Especially after six miles of brush and dirt to get there.
We live on a ‘secondary road’. Read rough; sometimes plowed; more pot-hole patches than original surface. Like that. But we get by and in the spring, summer and fall, it’s good living.
These types of roads are not frequently police patrolled. Can’t say as I blame the officers. But we do have our ‘wild bunch’. They are young, noisy for sure, and far too fast. It’s worrisome inasmuch as the ATV rider is in a little better position than a dirt biker or cyclist, but not much.. Cars and trucks on a road are like trees and rocks in the bush. It will likely be the ATVer who suffers most. And they will likely be younger.
But it might be nice to have the downtown area share some of the noise and speed. Give the town-folk a bit of that ‘off-road’ thrill.
This is the worst idea ever.
I agree with all those who have spoken against the proposal. It just isn’t worth the NOISE, pollution, additional congestion in the downtown core, risk to pedestrians, and dangers associated with ATVs to accommodate a very small segment of the population. Even the rural inhabitants barely tolerate ATVs and hate the noise, wild behaviour of some of the ATV riders (they have been known to tear up landscaping and farmer’s fields further south), etc. Those who live in town should surely not have to put up with any of this!!
Council, please vote NO on the proposal.
AUSTIN A. TOTH, with all due respect, the riders of ATVs, as well as riders of snowmobiles, may bring money to the purveyors of the hospitality services industry, but they bring also air pollution, noise pollution, and congestion on the roads.
The whole idea of letting ATVs, or snowmobiles, on the urban roads of the town is just bloody ridiculous.
Should the majority of the population suffer for the whim of the minority who wish to extend their enjoyment of an unhealthy pursuit onto the streets of the town?
Allowing ATVs access to the downtown core is not in the best interest of our community. The comments against this say it all.
Our town has undergone and continues to undergo massive changes – some positive, some not so much. That’s another conversation.
What next? Allowing snowmobiles access to downtown?
Surely we cannot justify this petition by professing that it will promote tourism. Unfortunately, the
almighty dollar often wins.
Town Council: Do not allow ATVS access to the downtown core.
The use of atv’s in small northern communities (hundreds/thousands of km north of Huntsville) are a great mode of transportation given the terrain and accessibility, but to allow atv’s to travel within our growing community would be a colossal mistake. It looks like the route given gives direct access to our Highschool which leads us to believe most of the petitioners are young people. We don’t need atv’s “flying” around town making all that noise, engaging in crazy antics and creating an extremely unsafe environment for everyone involved. One would assume our town council would vote this down, but occasionally common sense takes a back seat.
Not a good idea. No matter how many assurances are given, there will always be bad behaviour and noise especially during the night. It will drive you all crazy and the police will have to deal with it. The cost to manage this is ridiculous. Please shut this bad idea down before it get out of hand.
I am adding my voice to what I believe will be the majority of citizens – please please no! We live on a district road where use by ATVs is permitted. Most ATV users far exceed the speed limit. It is a busy road but the noise is much greater than a car with a noisy muffler! We are already losing a lot of what makes this the beautiful part of Ontario that it is – I will be surprised if the recent sale of the land on the north side of the highway 60 and Centre St intersection doesn’t result in the loss of all those magnificent deciduous trees!
I implore Town Council – deny this application!
ATVs provide outdoor fun for many, but their drivers and passengers usually wear helmets or noise cancelling earmuffs. As a pedestrian or dweller on any of these proposed streets, I would be subjected to the roar of their engines, the smell of their fumes, and the fear that with their jerky stops and starts, someone on them or near them might be seriously injured.
Is this something that will add or detract from the experience of downtown Huntsville residents and the visitors that come to enjoy a peaceful place? Shouldn’t we be doing more to facilitate safe ways to get in and out of town by bicycle to promote healthy active living and a decrease in carbon emissions?
And does this petition represent the true intention of its initiators or, by proposing something fairly radical, do they hope to be granted access across town through some other route where they might expect less opposition?
Please have a look at Newfoundland where communities embrace ATV/UTV through their communities. They realized the economic boom it provides to the communities in which the trail system link up to. With all due respect to a previous writer, ATV/UTV riders are bring money into the community, and once it is known that tourist sector will increase. Huntsville relies on a tourist. As far as noise…ATV/UTV are not any louder than some car mufflers that are heard on the street all ready, and they are not band. This is all about mind set and sharing the road.
Please, no.
Please, please, please, no.
Huntsville should look at Parry Sound’s experience from June of 2016. It’s worked very well and recognizes the importance of this cultural aspect of rural Ontario.
Check it out: https://www.parrysound.ca/explore-play/all-terrain-vehicles-atv-use/#:~:text=All%2DTerrain%20Vehicle%20(ATV)%20use%20on%20Town%20Streets&text=ATV%20use%20is%20prohibited%20on,the%20Town%20of%20Parry%20Sound.
The evidence shows that the little economic benefit of allowing atv or side by sides on municipal roads is far outweighed by the cost to the policing, and particularly the healthcare system that results from injuries, long and short term, with head injuries being the most prevalent. The long term care for these injuries costs millions. Our local policing is unable to deal with the restricted use of ATVs under current rules and in most cases will not even show up when a complaint is made.
By no means should council even consider this proposal as 255 names on a petition in no way represents anything like the feelings of people who will listen to noise,dust, trespassing,speeding,trash,and other negative behavior.
If anyone doubts what I say, I have the studies to prove it, I will present at the council if the opportunity presents itself, and would like the OPP to be present to show data on how they would police this.
Ultimately, this will cost the town money as we have all seen the tendancy of council to march off into projects that are not researched or analyzed.
Council, I beg you, do not make this decision without studying the facts and data that already exist.
This involves safety, lives, healthcare costs, and the comfort and enjoyment of life to satisfy the needs of a small group of individuals and businesses.
The downtown core and motels are the benefactors of this plan at the risk of everyone else.
And how do these ATVs get into town?
My calls this summer show a hodgepodge of rules regarding where ATVs are allowed with even Huntsville bylaw officers unable to address the situation and OPP passing it off as not their issue.
The district holds responsibility for this mess as well.
Please think hard before you act!
Only if they are electric and as quiet as cars.
ATVs make a loud annoying sound just like personal watercraft and most snowmobiles as anyone who lives on the lakes knows.
Can be heard a mile away.
For no reason.
Quiet versions of all vehicles exist.
Quiet should be mandatory.