Club hopes to convince Timmins council to allow ATVs access to some city streets

After being rejected in 2020, a new effort is being made to convince city council in Timmins to permit ATV drivers on some city streets to access trails.

There has been resistance to the idea in Timmins, with former police chief John Gauthier opposing the idea on safety and other grounds.

Allowing them on streets would inevitably lead to more traffic complaints, Gauthier said at a council meeting in June 2020, adding there "would be an increase in motor vehicle collisions including those with injuries."

However, since 2015, the province has allowed communities to pass bylaws to permit ATVs on local roads.

Some, such as Kapuskasing and Greater Sudbury, have passed laws allowing the vehicles to use certain roadways at specific times of the year to allow them to access trails, similar to policies with snowmobile trails.

The Timmins ATV Club is heading to council Tuesday night hoping that a new term and council will take a new look at the issue.

In its presentation, the club argues that the area has 395 kilometres of ATV trails, but “there is currently no way to leave the City of Timmins and access these open trails.”

“(These) trails connect to other communities, tourist outfitters and popular destinations,” the group said in its presentation.

It asking councillors to consider a phased approach, allowing access from a few city streets only as trails are developed and agreements with landowners are in place.

Bylaws would limit restrict ATVs on streets to driving 20 km/h and only from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

See the full presentation here.