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Tinmouth resident proposes limited ATV and UTV access on town roads
Summary
A Tinmouth resident presented a model ordinance to allow limited, designated ATV and UTV use on low-speed town roads, proposing signage, registration, insurance and a one-year pilot with annual review. The Select Board said such a change would require an information meeting and a town vote.
Resident Darren Babin told the Tinmouth Select Board on May 14 that a community-led ordinance could allow controlled ATV and UTV access on designated town roads to support tourism and local businesses. Babin said the proposal "emphasizes economic development, safety, controlled implementation, and preservation of rural character."
Babin described a framework he said other Rutland County towns have used: designate low-speed roads (typically 25–35 mph) for route access, require vehicle registration and proof of insurance, require a valid driver’s license and helmets, install signage paid for by the sponsoring club, impose sound/muffler limits, prohibit reckless operation and DUI, and impose seasonal closures during mud or winter hazards. He recommended a one-year pilot program with annual review of complaints, incidents and economic impacts and reserve the option to discontinue the program if problems arise.
Board members pressed on process and enforcement. The chair noted that any ordinance change would need public outreach and a municipal process, saying, "it's gonna have to get added to a town meeting and let the people in town vote on it." Babin said clubs could work with the town on route selection and that the club would pay for signage and conform to vehicle standards used by VASA (Voluntary ATV/Snowmobile association) in other communities.
Babin and board members also discussed inter-town connections, naming nearby towns (Poultney, Pittsford, Middletown Springs) as models and potential link points for trail systems; he indicated routing could use Gulf Road and North Street/Class 4 roads to connect to regional trails. No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the board signaled it would schedule public information and consider the ordinance process before any formal vote.
