ATV riding will soon be permitted on Gilpin roads

People soon will have the ability to ride all-terrain vehicles on Gilpin roads.

Township supervisors have long been considering an ordinance that would designate certain township roads to be “joint-use.” Earlier this month, they voted 4-0 to pass such an ordinance.

“This has been brought up multiple times in the past, as Gilpin is a very rural community with many ATVs,” said Supervisors Chairman Charles Stull. “Riders already had been using the roads respectfully but were being pulled over as it is illegal without this ordinance in effect. I felt it was time to try again and make ATV riding on township roadways legal with set conditions.”

In addition to Stull, supervisors Susan Brown, Jeremy Smail and Kris Kulick voted in favor of the ordinance. Supervisor Linda Alworth was absent.

Stull said a few additional things must occur before people can hit the roads with ATVs.

Appropriate signage from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources needs to be installed, and ATV operators will need to apply for and acquire permits from the township police department.

DCNR is responsible for overseeing ATV registration, which enables ATVs to travel legally on approved state forest trails and on private land not owned by the operator, but where they have permission to ride.

The department can enforce ATV rules and regulations on state forest and park lands, but not on private land and public roads. That is handled by municipal and state police.

The township should receive both the signage and permits within the next month, Stull said. Once the signs are up, people can apply for permits.

Permits will have to be renewed annually from their date of purchase, Stull said. They will cost $75 a year for residents, $100 a year for non-residents and $50 a year for people 60 and older.

People must be 18 or older to operate an ATV on the allowed roadways. State-maintained roads and private driveways are off-limits, the ordinance says. Also off-limits are Park Road, James Leech Road, Lehigh Drive, Highland Drive, Beatty Road and Veterans Avenue.

Stull said Armstrong County officials support the ordinance and have been working to push it to all municipalities in hopes of making the county an ATV destination. Stull sits on an ATV advisory committee led by the county commissioners.

“If successful, a countywide ATV road system can be obtained to connect to a possible ATV park the county is working to try to form,” Stull said.