Morning Sentinel
ATV riders club drops Oakland effort
By JOEL ELLIOTT
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 11/06/2007

OAKLAND -- Dick Eastman, president of the Fairfield-based Messalonskee Trail Riders ATV Club, said on Monday that he was dropping his bid to open more town roads to all-terrain vehicle use.

Town councilors in late October voted down the club's proposal, citing concerns from residents and the Messalonskee School District that mixing ATVs with regular traffic would create dangerous situations on Oakland's streets.

Eastman's proposals would have allowed ATV riders, some as young as 10 years old, to ride through portions of town roads that included school zones. Oakland Police Chief Mike Tracy advised against the plan, citing safety reasons, as did Messalonskee School Superintendent James C. Morse Sr.

Morse wrote in a letter addressed to Oakland Town Council Chairman J. Hobart Pierce that the board should deny the club's request because the plan posed a serious safety concern.

"(S)hould a collision occur, the weight of a school bus compared to the weight of an ATV would place the ATV driver in serious jeopardy," Morse wrote. "(A)lthough our drivers are conscientious in watching out for pedestrians and other vehicles, the small size of an ATV machine would make it very hard to see them on the road."

Morse said that ATV drivers, if given access to nearby roads, likely would damage fields on the school campuses.

Eastman had, in two different proposals, requested ATV access to South Gage Road, Summer Street, Route 11, Libby Hill Road, South Alpine Street, North Alpine Street, Old Waterville Road, Kennedy Memorial Drive, Cascade Mill Road, Fairfield Street, High Street and Pleasant Street, according to Oakland Town Manager Steve Dyer.

Town councilors granted ATV access to portions of Rice Rips Road and the County Road, but rejected the bulk of Eastman's proposal.

"The board was not convinced that the public concerns for safety and potential for accidents was addressed by the ATV club's presentation," Dyer said.

The ATV club president on Monday described Oakland town councilors as being stubborn and close-minded as he explained that his club would end its drive to expand its access to public roads.

"No, we've wasted enough time and money," Eastman said. "Changes are not something that is going to happen in Oakland. The people have more excuses -- they don't even want to try any more ideas."

Joel Elliott -- 861-9252

jelliott@centralmaine.com

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Prime28 of Augusta, ME
Nov 7, 2007 3:45 PM
Who cares? The fewer hicks on the road the better.report abuse
caitlin allen of Starks, ME
Nov 7, 2007 3:26 PM
Roads are designed for the use of transportation vehicles. ATV's are designed for recreating- they aren't regulated or equipped the way cars, trucks and busses must be to use roads safely. I think it's *very* appropriate to keep them off the roads. This is a big state with lots of places to ride- trails, logging roads, discontinued roads, use of privately owned properties, etc... It's not hard to transport an ATV in the back of a pick-up or trailer to access trails, so ATV riders don't get my sympathy on this matter. Sorry. (BTW, I've seen plenty of kids 10 and under driving ATV's! Legal or not, it happens.) report abuse
Leon Richard of Farmington, ME
Nov 6, 2007 10:13 PM
NIMBY foolishness on the basis of what "might happen". With little to no actual facts to support the conclusion.

Other communities, including Dixfield where I worked and lived for a number of years, have opened roads abutting schools and athletic fields. No problem, other than the random idiot. The random idiots do what they want to anyway. So what are we left with? No peer pressure toward idiots to not do the things they're doing. What have we to lose?

Blatant lie regarding children as young as ten years old operating...

***A person 12 to 15 years of age, who has successfully completed a Department approved training course, and while accompanied by an adult of 21 years of age or older, may cross a public way, when operating a properly registered ATV the distance necessary, but not more than 300 yards on the extreme right of the traveled way for the purpose of crossing, as directly as possible, a public way, sidewalk or culvert.***

Twelve years old is the youngest, under direct supervision of a parent or guardian. Of course, that won't matter... "Because we just don't want it." report abuse
John of Camden, ME
Nov 6, 2007 6:47 PM
Any plan to have "ATV riders, some as young as 10 years old, to ride through portions of town roads that included school zones" is a badly devised plan.report abuse

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