The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

August 7, 2012

ATVs will be allowed on Blue Earth County Roads

By Dan Linehan The Free Press

MANKATO — As a member of the Woodtick Wheelers all-terrain vehicle club, Mankatoan John Dickerman is interested in promoting responsible riding. But he drives nearly 200 miles to the Hackensack, Minn., club to do it, in part because local roads are often off limits.

“We need legal places to ride them,” he said.

Dickerman and others will soon have some new options. The Blue Earth County Board unanimously approved on Tuesday an ordinance allowing ATVs on county roads. The change takes effect in 30 days.

Five people testified; four were in support.

Charles Draper, of Mankato, worried ATVs — which need not have turn signals or brake lights — would be unsafe. And he said the change would encourage more people to take up the hobby, which will cause environmental problems.

“My gut says, you’re going to have more ATVs, more problems,” he said.

Commissioner Vance Stuehrenberg said motorcycles aren’t required to have turn signals (bikers can signal turns by hand signals) so ATVs shouldn’t, either.

Sheriff Brad Peterson supports the change. He agreed there are few places at present to ride them.

It is and will remain illegal to ride ATVs in ditches from April 1 to Aug. 1 in the so-called “agricultural” zone of the state, which includes much of southern and central Minnesota.

Todd Miller, Mankato’s public safety director, asked the board to include “mini trucks” in its ordinance. They’re defined by state statute in part by their smaller engine size, though he said they can sometimes travel 55 mph or faster.

The board amended the proposed ordinance twice; once to add on mini trucks and once to require rear-view mirrors be added to the left side of on-road ATVs.

Commissioner Kip Bruender said he was concerned with ATVs traveling on busy roads such as County Road 17, also called Madison Avenue. He said he didn’t want to see people using ATVs to commute regularly to work, as opposed to a hobby ride.

The ordinance was proposed by State Rep. Tony Cornish, who has tried unsuccessfully to pass legislation allowing ATVs on roads statewide.

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