ATVs on city streets? The public to have its say

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The drive to allow ATVs on Campbellton streets takes its next step with a public meeting scheduled for next week.

The city has made the issue a priority this year, as the number of other municipalities in New Brunswick that give ATVs access to their downtowns continue to grow.

Miramichi recently became the latest municipality in the province to adopt a bylaw allowing use of ATVs on a dozen city streets, joining other municipalities such as Woodstock, Carleton North, Bathurst, Sussex and others. 

Officials with Quad NB, the main group behind the push, will be on hand to help answer questions and concerns from the public at Campbellton Regional Memorial Civic Centre on April 23.

Quad NB development co-ordinator Jacques Ouellette has argued that allowing ATVs access to city streets would be a significant boost to Campbellton’s tourism.

“It would have a huge economic impact and bring new visitors,” he said. “We want access to amenities, mostly lodging, to allow tourists to make a stop in Campbellton. For now, we have to bypass Campbellton and send the tourists to Dalhousie and the Chaleur area.”

Ouellette said there is much consideration done by Quad NB when it requests access to municipal roadways and that Campbellton is one of only a handful of municipalities in the northern part of the province that does not yet allow ATV access to streets.

“We don’t just throw the enthusiasts on the streets. We have a program to follow which includes proper media follow-up and education. We have access to 27 municipalities as of now. If there is a problem, we fix it immediately by educating the riders.”

Council has adopted an ad hoc committee that has met several times since last summer and has proposed possible routes ATVs could follow if granted access to city streets.

ATV users and advocate organizations had hoped a new bylaw might be in place by the summer, but there are a number of issues that need to be dealt with prior to council considering it, such as official routes, times when ATVs are permitted, fines and others.