Upper Burrell drops proposal to allow ATVs on township roads
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Upper Burrell Supervisors are no longer considering allowing all-terrain vehicles on township roads.
Supervisors floated the idea recently after seeing the interest in Gilpin Township, which recently opened some township roads to ATVs.
Both Gilpin and Upper Burrell are rural municipalities where many residents own ATVs. Westmoreland County as a whole has the highest number of active ATV registrations in the state, with 7,506 as of July 1, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Under the Upper Burrell proposal, the ATV drivers would pay $75 for a permit to drive on township roads, which have speed limits ranging from 25 to 35 mph. Upper Burrell owns half of the roads in the township, which is about 22 miles.
During a meeting Wednesday, residents expressed concerns about the prospect of ATVs being on township roads.
“We have roads that are not good enough for cars,” resident Robert Myers said of the township’s oil-and-chip roads.
Another resident, Bob Speer, said he was concerned that allowing ATVs on township roads would ultimately result in ATV drivers cutting through other people’s properties to get where they need to go.
Currently, the township responds to about one weekly complaint about ATVs, according to Supervisors Chairman Ross Walker and police Chief Kenneth Pate.
After the discussion, Walker asked the audience, “Is there anyone supporting ATVs on the road?”
When no one raised their hand, Walker said, “There doesn’t seem to be much interest.”
With that, supervisors dropped the idea and moved onto other business.