Manitowoc County will be looking at laws regarding UTV/ATV access on county roads.
County Executive Tyler Martell stated on WOMT’s Be My Guest program that the County’s Highway Committee brought up the conversation after a group came forward seeking more access.
Towns have ordinances allowing the vehicles to be driven on roads, but not the county itself.
“And so this group, what they are asking for is to allow some county roads to have access for ATVs and UTVs,” he explained. “Because if you’re driving on Town of Cato Road and you need to cross over into a Town of Liberty Road, if there’s a county road in between you have to kind of go around that.”
Martell says there are many strong opinions about motorized vehicles on the road.
Resident’s concerns with UTVs and ATVs on the road include helmet laws, requiring blinkers, and speed.
There’s also making sure the vehicles must comply with OWI and open intoxicants laws.
Martell says the Highway Committee will continue the conversation.
“It’s going to be an open process,” he noted. “People are going to have an opportunity to express their opinion. And we still have to do a lot of research to address some of these concerns.”
Martell recommends residents attend the Highway Committee or County Board meetings in the future if they want to have input in how the county moves forward.
