Oshkosh council declines to adopt ATV/UTV ordinance after split Transportation Committee review

The Oshkosh Common Council heard several residents and local advocacy groups urging the city to permit ATVs and UTVs on certain city streets or to establish mapped routes to connect homeowners to county trail systems. The Transportation Committee held two meetings and polled residents; committee members reported a divided public and ultimately did not forward a recommendation to council.

At the council meeting, proponents cited economic benefits for local retailers and argued for mapped routes from homes to trailheads. Opponents raised safety concerns, particularly about vehicles mixing with faster traffic downtown, concerns about underage operation, and a loophole that the Transportation Committee said would allow people with revoked driver’s licenses to operate ATVs under current state code.

Council members were divided. Some said they would prefer a framework that copies the county ordinance and refines it for city streets, including insurance and an operator‑license requirement; others said the county ordinance may conflict with state statute and that safety and enforcement risks are too high. No ordinance was adopted and no motion to move forward with a city‑specific route network received a majority. Several members instructed staff to work with state legislative and municipal league partners to clarify statutes and to revisit the topic if state law changes or if the Transportation Committee proposes a city ordinance crafted to address the identified safety gaps.