SNOHOMISH — An ATV group is asking the city to let people ride on the streets. Doing so would match neighboring cities in Sultan, Monroe and Lake Stevens, the group says.
The Northwest Quad Association of Puget Sound, a nonprofit group for riders, requested the city open up to wheeled all-terrain vehicles (WATVs), and multiple riders spoke at last week’s City Council meeting.
The city’s engineer is working on the issue, city administrator Steve Schuller said. There is no scheduled council vote at this time.
Creating a street ATV route between Monroe and Snohomish is among the group’s goals, quad association president John Graham said.
The county authorized letting riders use Old Owen Road to get from Monroe to Sultan last year.
“We’ve got Sultan, Monroe and Lake Stevens. If we have Snohomish, it will be easier to push the county” for more routes, Austin Finch from Snohomish said.
“We just want to enjoy our toys and drive them legally” in the city, Finch said.
Monroe began allowing ATVs on city streets last year. Sultan has allowed ATVs since 2013 on streets with a 35 mph speed limit, including on U.S. 2 on the section of road where it dips to 35 mph.
Snohomish County allows ATVs on roads in certain areas of unincorporated county.
State law requires WATVs to have seatbelts, mirrors, turn signals, lights, license plates and horns to be used on public roads.
The vehicles also must be “titled, licensed, insured, safety inspected and meet strict street legal requirements,” Jason Wagner of Clearview wrote to city officials in an email.
A number of more rural counties in Eastern Washington and in the Olympia Peninsula have approved ATV use on county roads limited to 35 mph or less, according to a website tracking local ATV laws run by Paul Sterley of Snohomish.
Snohomish resident Rick Pratt of Snohomish told council members at the meeting it’s remarkable he can ride his dirt bike on city streets but not his ATV.
ATV sales are growing year-by-year, said a salesman for Adventure Motorsports of Monroe, noting they’re popular in this region. At the lowest end, used ATVs sell at dealers in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $3,000.
Larger ATV vehicles called utility task vehicles (UTVs) or side-by-sides have roll cages, can seat four and look like a buggy. They typically sell at higher prices.
Wagner noted in an email to city officials that ATVs are required to have more safety features than bicycles. The vehicles also sip gas compared to cars, and can be used for in-town errands, he wrote.
Original Pilot House Coffee shop on Monroe’s Main Street, for one, uses an ATV for a local coffee delivery service.
