New York

Recent Legislative Action

2009

S444: Prohibits ORVs on streets in cities w population of 1 million or more. (1/7/09: Referred to Transportation Committee)

S665: Prohibits the operation of all-terrain vehicles on school grounds, and baseball, football and soccer fields, without permission (1/12/09: Introduced)

A1946: Requires license plates on all ORVs and gives officers authoriy to impound vehicles for riding off deisgnated routes in Forest Preserves. (1/14/09: Referred to Transportation Committee)

A1953: Improves ORV enforcement by tightening registration requirements (1/14/09: Referred to Transportation Committee)

A2156: Prohibits the operation of all-terrain vehicles by the general public in the state forest preserve, Long Island central pine barrens area and Albany pine bush preserve - allows for immediate vehicle impoundment for violations (1/15/09: Introduced)

A2966: Eliminates annual ORV registration fee, but dedicates $10 million to trail maintainence and mapping. Also provides funding for law enforcement, requires license plates and authorizes the impoundment of vehicles (1/22/09: Referred to Tourism Committee)

A4356: Creates registration financed ORV fund to pay for enforcement, trail maintenance and reparations for damaged property. Would require license plates, increases violation penalties and permits vehicle impoundment (2/3/09: Referred to Tourism Committee)

S2533: Calls for study of economic impact of ORVs. Also includes study of enforcement, safety and environmental cost concerns and survey of private property owners (2/23/09: Referred to Cultural Affairs Committee)

2008

A2747: Creates $20 fee on all ATVs to pay for enforcement and reparations for private property damage, and increases penalties for violations, including vehicle impoundment (1/9/08: Sent to Senate Committee on Tourism and Recreation)

S5706 Requires the state to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of ORV riding (6/18/08: Passed Senate and Sent to Assembly)

S578: Increases penalties for the illegal operation of ORVs on public or private grounds or on any baseball, football, or soccer field that has been conspicuously posted as a no-trespassing area (1/9/08: Referred to Senate Transportation Committee)

A916: Prohibits operation of ORVs in state forest preserves, Long Island Central Pine Barrens Area and Albany Pine Bush Preserve. Violations can result in vehicle impoundment (1/3/08: Introduced)

2007

A2677: Requires license plates for ORVs and allows peace officers to impound vehicles for certain violations (1/18/07: Introduced)

Community Voices Demand Action in New York

• "We get calls about ATVs all over the village. Usually by the time someone calls us and a car gets there, the ATVs are long gone...It's a problem in our community. We enforce it as much as we can with the tools we've got." -- Eric Proulx, Tupper Lake police Sargent, "Illegal ATV, snowmobile use a problem in Tupper", Adirondack Daily Enterprise (11/19/08)

• “Not giving the clubs permission doesn't mean the ATVs won't be there. There's a large group that's going to be there no matter what.” -- New York Legislator Christopher Palermo, "ATV club seeks access to county trail", The Citizen (1/21/10)

• "...within the past year and a half, the Department of Environmental Conservation has ramped up its effort. That's because dirt bikes, four-wheelers and even trucks have decimated the Taconic Crest ­ their knobby tires tearing paths into trenches, carving side trails and turning damp soil into mud bogs wide enough to float a canoe through." -- "Man in Green Holds the Line", Albany Times-Union (11/11/08)

• "Who wants to spend a weekend listening to those machines (ATVs) revving up? Also, there's dirt, dust, exhaust. When you live in the country, you expect to enjoy the peace and quiet. A chain saw is OK once in a while, but not this." -- Priscilla Bailey, Madison property owner reacting to proposed ORV park, "Neighbors Sling Concerns about ATVs", The Post Standard (10/13/08)

• “Just walking our dog has been dangerous when they fly by at 50 miles an hour,” -- Amy D'Angelo, lives along the Hojack trail, "ATV club seeks access to county trail", The Citizen (1/21/10)

• "Essentially, the department is very concerned about the impact and their well documented negative impact of ATV use on state land. Primarily running through wetlands and streams and it's just not good for the environment or for the other users of the resource." -- Judy Drabicki, DEC Region 6 Director, "DEC has issues with ATV trails," TWEAN News 10 Now (9/22/08)

• "I have never seen this many ATV accidents in this short a time. It happened, and we're trying to deal with it." -- Sgt. Martin Bronisz, Acting Sgt. of Sheriff's Special Services Unit, "ATVs claim 2 lives in 4 accidents", Buffalo News (9/4/08)

• "I am a farmer and a landowner. With ATVs, it's a no-win deal. They do damage, and they are loud." -- Steven Cuddeback, Cayuga County Legislator, "Legislators take another look at ATV plan", The Citizen (8/14/08)

• "They're keeping the people up all night...We need more patrols up here." -- Debbie Preston, Conklin Supervisor, "ATVs, dirt bikes rile Conklin residents", Press and Sun-Bulletin (10/10/07)

• "Two years ago, the state legislature adopted Chapter 601 prohibiting the illegal use of ATVs on farmland...But instead, many ATV owners have taken their hobby to school grounds and athletic fields, and in many cases have caused extensive damage. The schools are then left with the bills to repair their fields. This legislation would severely fine anyone caught damaging school grounds or community athletic fields with an ATV." -- Senator Bill Larkin, 39th Senate District, "Sen. Larkin proposes penalties for operating atvs on school grounds or ball fields", US States News (5/25/07)

• "People get hurt every year by not operating ATVs in a safe manner... There are rules that need to be followed in order to keep riders-and everyone else-safe. The people that own or operate these vehicles, both kids and adults, need to be made aware of the laws associated with them, and follow them." -- Bernhard Peter, Police Chief of Schodack, "ATVers have police chief fuming", The Independent (8/14/07)

• "There's an absolute war out there...ATVs and motorcycles are the biggest threat to the pine barrens." -- Richard Amper, Long Island Pine Barrens Society, "Battle for the Barrens; Rough riders; Cracking down on ATVs; As authorities take a tougher approach against illegal riding, some say their tactics are the real danger", Newsday (1/23/07)

Recent ORV-Related Media Coverage