P.E.I. ATV Federation says Bathurst, N.B., setting good example

The P.E.I. ATV Federation says the city of Bathurst, N.B., may be onto a good idea to help solve some problems on Island roads.

Police have been calling for more education for ATV use after an incident where 33 riders in the Tignish area refused to stop for enforcement checks.

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RCMP and provincial officials say the biggest problems they see include: drivers not wearing helmets, speeding, having no registrationand driving on roads.

The ATV federation is pointing to Bathurst as a community working to welcome ATV riders, by opening up the city to limited road access.

The city council is about to give final reading to a bylaw that will let ATV riders drive rightinto the downtown on a set route, if the provincial government also gives permission.

"To give access to the ATV riders who came from East Bathurst, access to the downtown, some restaurants, and also lodging, with a hotel," explained the city's mayor, Paolo Fongemie, to Island Morning.

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The province's ATV federation was the driving force behind the idea, said the mayor, and council bought into it because it makes economic sense for the city.

"We know that in other provinces, giving access to street infrastructures within town is a great economic development within tourism," said Fongemie. "And that's the way that we want to go, there's 1,400 users in the Chaleur region, and if you add the (Acadian) peninsula and the Restigouche, that's a lot of interests, that spend money, and that's their favourite hobby, and we want to give them access."

Good riders, not bad ones

The mayor feels it also separates the responsible ATV riders from the problematic few.

"I think it's our job to reassure the citizens also," he said. "We do have users that don't comply with the law. They ride on the walking trails, they don't have helmets, they don't have insurance, they don't have their stickers. But these people are outlaws, they're a fraction, the minority of people, and they won't be riding on city streets."

The city is leading the way for the province, the first municipality to work towards letting ATV's mingle with major street traffic.

The route will require them to cross a provincial bridge into the city as well.

The mayor doesn't feel this will lead to any more traffic downtown, other than people from outside, spending money.

"I'm an ATV user also," he said. "I'm not necessarily riding in the streets downtown. I think the target audience for that access is people from outside of town. The main purpose of this bylaw is to attract more tourism."

After the bill passes final reading at Bathurst City Council, Fongemie feels the approval from the province will happen quickly, and feels confident an answer is coming within the next two weeks.

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