Off Road Vehicle Task Force

Kawartha Lakes – At the June 15 Council meeting, the proposed connection route for ATV trail access in Lindsay was brought forward and a decision was made by Council to seek additional feedback on the route from residents before approving the pilot program.

The proposed route, which runs from Logie Street to Thunder Bridge Road, is only to be used by ATV riders as a connecting link between the Victoria Rail Trail Heads. Council has made it clear that no other off road vehicles, such as dirt bikes or side by sides, will be permitted on the connecting route. In addition, ATVs will only be permitted on the route in Lindsay between May 1 and December 1 and only allowed between the hours of 7am to 9:30pm. ATVs will be subject to a 20 km/hour speed limit.

The recommended route in Lindsay is outlined below:

Logie Street Trail Head (South) to Thunder Bridge Trail Head (North)

1. North on Logie Street to King Street
2. King Street to Lindsay Street
3. Lindsay Street North to Wellington Street
4. Wellington Street to Victoria Avenue
5. Victoria Avenue to Elgin Street
6. Elgin Street to Angeline Street North
7. Angeline Street North to Thunder Bridge Road
8. Thunder Bridge Road to Trail Head

To receive clear feedback, Council has designed a short survey. The survey is available online or as a hard copy at the Lindsay Service Centre until July 30, 2021. All feedback, especially from residents who live within the impacted areas of the proposed route, is encouraged and will help Council determine the best course of action. In September, Council has committed to discussing the proposed route in Lindsay, as well as exploring other options for off road vehicle access across the municipality.

At the June 1 Committee of the Whole meeting, the ORV Task Force brought forward proposed routes for Lindsay and Bobcaygeon.

Council endorsed one route through Lindsay to allow ATVs to link between trails as a two year pilot program, to be reviewed after one year. The route would be as follows: Trail Head to Logie Street, Logie Street to King Street, King Street to Lindsay Street, Lindsay Street to Wellington Street, Wellington Street to Victoria Avenue, Victoria Avenue to Elgin Street, Elgin Street to Angeline Street, Angeline Street to Thunderbridge Road.

Council has decided to resume the discussion for Bobcaygeon, as well as other areas within the municipality, later this fall with a report back by the end of the year.

Kawartha Lakes – At the May 4 Committee of the Whole meeting, the proposed recommendations from the Off Road Vehicle (ORV) Task Force were presented to Council. The purpose of the ORV Task Force is to provide advice on the use of off road vehicles on municipal roads and to identify safe ways to connect existing trail linkages across the municipality.

The presentation began with an overview from Bryan Robinson, Director of Public Works, who delivered a brief history of the existing By-law and the changes in legislation that came forward surrounding ORV use in January 2021. Robinson summarized the public input which ranged from over 2000 survey responses, 300 emails and comments from the March 19 public meeting. Following, Councillor Pat Dunn, Chair of the ORV Task Force, walked through the proposed recommendations, explaining the Task Force’s rationale behind each statement.

Council heard from members of the public who brought forward further correspondence, both for and against the Task Force’s work. Councillor Dunn summarized the comments coming forward, including concerns around the health and safety of all users on municipal roads as well as enforcement and environmental factors.

In his address to Council, Councillor Dunn noted “The Task Force is open to continuing to work with staff and Council to determine the best course of action for the entire community. We have done our due diligence to ensure that safety was always a priority in our discussions, but understand that there is still hesitation from some to move forward with the proposed routes.”

The following motions were proposed and carried:

• Any pilot program that is initiated will have a two-year term with a review after one year
• Any roads that will allow ORV use will only permit access between 7am and 9:30pm, from May 1 to November 30

In regard to the discussion around which roads and routes to proceed with, the following were carried:

• Use of ORVs on rural roads be referred back to the Task Force for review in September with a report back to Council in Q4.
• Road linkage between Bethany and the Ganaraska Forest be referred back to the Task Force for review, alongside staff, and brought back for discussion in September 2021
• The proposed commercial route in Bobcaygeon be referred back to the Task Force for finalization and brought back for discussion at the June 1 Committee of the Whole meeting
• The proposed route connecting the trail linkages through Lindsay be referred back to the Task Force for finalization and brought back for discussion at the June 1 Committee of the Whole meeting
• Any additional proposed routes in Lindsay be referred back to the Task Force for review and brought back for discussion in September 2021

The Task Force will be hosting a second public meeting on May 20, 2021 at 10am. The meeting will be held virtually and will be livestreamed on the municipality’s YouTube channel. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed routes in Bobcaygeon and Lindsay. The Task Force is asking any residents who wish to bring forward recommendations for the routes to email orvtaskforce@kawarthalakes.ca before 12pm on May 14.

All past correspondence, including a summary of the public survey and past Task Force meetings are available for public access on the ORV Task Force’s Jump In project page.

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ORV Task Force Recommendations

April 19, 2021

Definition: For the purpose of this Task Force the term ORV applies solely to All Terain Vehicles (ATVs) and Side by Sides (SxSs).

Side by Sides to be permitted in conjunction with access to the VRTC, save and except east of Sturgeon Rd. and north of Pigeon Lake Rd., as well as south of Hwy 7A.

For the purpose of this Task Force, we recognize that ATVs and SxSs are not for general transportation but to encourage people to enjoy the use of permitted trails.

General Recommendations:

1. Open up rural roads excepting those deemed unsafe by the City staff and committee
2. Establish a two-year pilot program to be reviewed and amended after the first year
3. Permit operation of ATVs and SxSs (as approved in the current bylaw) on permitted City Roads between 7:00am and 9:30pm
4. ATVs and SxSs Municipal Road access only permitted during the same time period as the trail system which runs from May 1^st to December 1^st.
5. Require all operators of ATVs and SxSs to possess a valid KATVA or Affiliate membership.
6. Must have a minimum of a valid G2 or M2 driver’s license.
7. Must have valid vehicle license plate and valid insurance.
8. Must meet all requirements under HTA Reg. 316/03.
9. Increase communication and education to all ATV riders and non-riders about rules, regulations and safety.

Bobcaygeon

1. Permit operation of ATVs and SxSs on all roads within Village of Bobcaygeon save and except Bolton Street between Canal Street to King Street

2. Require all operators of ATVs and SxSs within the Village of Bobcaygeon to possess a valid KATVA or Affiliate membership

Lindsay:

1. Recommended travel routes from Southern trail head to Northern trail head and vice versa

Logie St.Trail Head

• Logie St. to King St.
• King St to Lindsay St.
• Lindsay St. to Wellington St.
• Wellington St. to Victoria Ave.
• Victoria Ave. to Colborne St. W
• Colborne St. W. to Angeline St. N
• Angeline St. N to Thunder Bridge Rd.
• Thunder Bridge Rd. to Trail Head

Logie Street Trail Head

• Logie St. to Lindsay St.
• North on Lindsay St. to Wellington St.
• Wellington St. to Victoria Ave.
• Victoria Ave. to Colborne St. W
• Colborne St. W. to Angeline St. N
• Angeline St. N to Thunder Bridge Rd.
• Thunder Bridge Rd. to Trail Head

2. Ban operation of ATVs and SxSs on all City roads within the Town of Lindsay saved and except

• Approved ATVs and SxSs connections routes
• Russell St. from Lindsay St. to Victoria St.
• Victoria Ave. from Russell St. to Wellington St. except during the period of the Farmer’s Market
• Cambridge St. from Russell St. to Wellington St.
• William St. from Russell St.to Wellington St.
• Peel St. from Victoria Ave. to William St.

3. Total prohibition on Kent St., and on Angeline St from Roosevelt St. to Colborne St. Operation of ATVs and SxSs on any street in Lindsay not approved be prohibited unless travelling directly to or returning from approved routes.

4. Require all operators of ATVs and SxSs within the Town of Lindsay to possess a valid KATVA or Affiliate membership

Have you talked to and heard back from the Health Unit?

The Health Unit has been contacted but their response has been delayed due to Covid. Their staff have been busy organizing the vaccination protocols for the residents in Kawartha Lakes.

Has something happened to change the concerns the health unit had when they looked into this in 2009, 2011, 2013?

We are looking for an update regarding health and safety information from within our local health unit.

Have you received written comments on the proposed route through Lindsay from Kawartha Lakes Police Services?

The Kawartha Lakes Police Service have been part of the conversation since the Task Force began. A request has been sent to the KLPS and we are awaiting their report.

Have you read the detailed explanation in that special council report from Feb 5^th 2013, on why the ATV route through Lindsay that was proposed at that time was not recommended?

We now have 13 years of positive experience with ATV routes running through some of our own community as well as neighbouring communities that border Kawartha Lakes. Council felt it was time to review the request and make their own decision based on updated information.

Have you talked to representatives from municipalities who have decided not to allow ATVs on their roads to find out their reasons?

Yes we have. Several municipalities surrounding us have successfully opened some or all of their roads to ORVs and others are still in the review process much like we are.

Have you talked to downtown Lindsay business owners to find out whether they think ORV use on the roads will have the economic benefit the task force feels it will have?

Yes, and like all issues there are varying opinions. The BIA Board of Directors is fully informed as to the recommendations and asked to participate in the survey. The Lindsay Chamber of Commerce has also sent the survey out to all of their members.

Have you checked what ATV and SxS manufacturers have to say about driving their vehicles on the roads?

Yes we have. The manufacturers through the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributor’s Council (COHV) has a wealth of educational material available to all ORV users in Canada to help promote the safe use of ORVs.

Have you researched what the recreational off highway vehicle association has to say?

Yes we have. The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) promotes the safe and responsible use of recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) manufactured or distributed in the United States. Their mandate does not include Canada, specifically Ontario where we have much stricter laws regarding the use of ORVs on roads and the mandatory use of safety equipment.

Have you calculated the potential costs of allowing ORV use on the roads, costs such as enforcement and road maintenance?

Public Works advises there have been no appreciable wear and tear on City infrastructure in areas where ORVs have been permitted on City roads for more than 10 years.

Policing is already carried out by the policing agency in their area of responsibility. They determine based on resources and complaints what priorities they give to particular incidents. They do not traditionally devote resources to one specific area. ie: They don’t have units devoted to watching bicycles for infractions, ball games for illegal consumption of alcohol or dog owners for failing to scoop after their dogs. Thy will enforce ORV violations in the same manner as they do all violations within the municipality.

What do the OPP and Lindsay Police recommend?

The ORV task force is waiting on reports from the law enforcement agencies within the municipality.

How are they preparing for enforcement?

That would be a question best directed to the individual policing agencies, it most likely will be included in the report.

What do the local health unit recommend?

They have been sent a copy of the recommendations, requesting a written response. Once the report is issued it will be added into the public record and shared.

What preventative action will be taken to reduce the likelihood of adverse health concerns?

KATVA will be providing a safety education component to all KATVA members. They also offer ATV and SxS safety training to any ORV owners who are interested.

What signage should the city be putting in place to direct people?

The City staff will determine what signage is required and KATVA has offered to pay for it just as they have paid for all ORV signage on the existing ORV routes through Fenelon Falls for over 10 years.

What will help with so many drivers unfamiliar with the area coming in?

KATVA members will be provided with maps in both a digital and paper format and there will be signage on all approved routes. There will also be maps posted at each of the trail heads in Lindsay to show riders the approved routes through town.

What public education activities would help prepare awareness for the changes?

The City is currently advertising all recommended routes on the website and through various social media. If recommendations are approved, those approved changes would be advertised in the normal manner through our City Communication department as well as through KATVA to all of their members.

How can young age groups be reached?

Social Media seems to reach youth these days and there is lots of information about safety practices and rules on the KATVA website. KATVA also has free safety education materials and hands on rider training courses that are available to youth.

What is different in driving on roads vs trails?

An ORV user operating on the trails is required to follow the same rules such as speed, license plate, insurance, passengers, helmets and equipment requirements as someone who rides on the roads. The only real difference is someone riding an ORV on the trails does not require a drivers license unless they are going to be crossing roads or riding the roads to connect from one trail to the next.

Who will take the lead in dealing with all of the safety issues?

KATVA has committed to continue what they’ve always done, working with their members as well as law enforcement agencies and city staff to educate ORV riders on the safe use of ORVs on roads and trails. Outreach and public education are important to the success of this pilot project.

What have been the experiences elsewhere when similar changes have been introduced?

There are many municipalities surrounding the City of Kawartha Lakes that have had roads opened for number of years and it’s been successful. We’re not aware of any municipalities that have closed the roads after the designated trial period was over. In fact a number of roads in the north end of our municipality have been open for more than 10 years without any negative impact to the municipality.

How will the experience be documented and analyzed over the coming years to make improvements and reduce risks and problems?

Public feedback, from all users, and information provided by organizations such as law enforcement agencies and the local public health unit.

Did KATVA cover all expenses of maintaining motorized trails, if not, what were the city’s expenses?

KATVA has donated in excess of $200,000.00 and countless hours of physical labour to the maintenance and upgrading of the multi-use trails in Kawartha Lakes. This question is bested directed to the Trail Master Plan as to what portion of the overall costs that is.

They have also donated equipment such as ATVs and SxS for the bylaw department and the Burnt River Fire Station to assist city staff with their jobs and to reduce costs to the taxpayers. KATVA will continue to invest in the community as they always have.

I will note that aside from KATVA, the snowmobile clubs and the dirt bike clubs, none of the other user groups donate anything financially to the maintenance or upkeep of the multi-use trails.

What are city’s expected expenses for more ORV traffic and enforcement?

No additional expenses are anticipated. There are no additional costs expected for road maintenance and law enforcement agencies already have budgets to work with to patrol the roads and trails.

What happens when a road shoulder gives way and there are serious injuries?

There are no indications the City shoulders are in a state of disrepair.

Will ORVs on the streets of Lindsay be policed by the OPP or KLPS?

Jurisdictions will remain the same, OPP will continue to enforce where they currently enforce and the same with KLPS

If this is allowed, will it be required to have signal lights and mirrors on the ATVs?

All equipment requirements as laid out in MTO regulations for road use will have to be met by ORV users on roads in Kawartha Lakes. Hand signals will continue to be used just as they are used with motorcycles.

Kawartha Lakes - The Off Road Vehicle (ORV) Task Force has pulled together recommendations to Council with a focus to review and help identify opportunities to support the safe use of off road vehicles on municipal roads.

With these road access recommendations comes a list of rules and guidelines to enable this trial project to be executed in a responsible and safe manner.

In order to help facilitate this process, they are looking for input from residents and visitors regarding the use of off road vehicles on municipal roads within Kawartha Lakes. The thoughts and opinions of off road vehicle users and non-users will be valuable in order to make decisions that will provide a successful outcome to this trial project.

The ORV Task Force will be hosting its first public meeting on March 19, 2021 at 10am where the group will be seeking public input on the Task Force’s recommendations for which roads to use to connect existing trails in Kawartha Lakes for off road vehicle use.

Residents are invited to speak, but must register by noon on March 17, 2021 in order to participate in the meeting. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety measures, the meeting will be held virtually through Zoom.

To register, please contact Brianne Harrison by emailing orvtaskforce@kawarthalakes.ca. Alternatively, residents can also register to use the Jump In platform to ask questions online directly to the Task Force.

All Task Force, Committee and Council meetings are also streamed live and archived on Kawartha Lakes' YouTube.

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Definitions

ORV: For the purpose of this Task Force the term ORV applies solely to ATVs and Side by Sides.

ORV Use: For the purpose of this Task Force, we recognize that ORVs are not for general transportation but to encourage people to enjoy the use of permitted trails.

General Recommendations:

1. Open up rural roads excepting those deemed unsafe by the City staff and committee
2. Establish a two-year pilot program to be reviewed and amended after the first year
3. Permit operation of ORVs on permitted City Roads between 7:00am and 9:30pm
4. ORV Municipal Road access only permitted during the same time period as the trail system which runs from May 1^st to December 1^st.
5. Require all operators of ORVs to possess a valid KATVA or Affiliate membership.
6. Must have a minimum of a valid G2 or M2 driver’s license.
7. Must have valid vehicle license plate and valid insurance.
8. Must meet all requirements under HTA Reg. 316/03.

Bobcaygeon

1. Permit operation of ORV’s on all roads within Village of Bobcaygeon save and except Bolton Street between Canal Street to King Street
2. Require all operators of ORV’s within the Village of Bobcaygeon to possess a valid KATVA or Affiliate membership

Lindsay:

1. Recommended travel routes from Southern trail head to Northern trail head and vice versa

• Logie St.Trail Head
  • Logie St. to King St.
  • King St to Lindsay St.
  • Lindsay St. to Wellington St.
  • Wellington St. to Victoria Ave.
  • Victoria Ave. to Colborne St. W
  • Colborne St. W. to Angeline St. N
  • Angeline St. N to Thunder Bridge Rd.
  • Thunder Bridge Rd. to Trail Head
    
    
• Logie Street Trail Head
  • South on Logie St. to Lindsay St.
  • North on Lindsay St. to Wellington St.
  • Wellington St. to Victoria Ave.
  • Victoria Ave. to Colborne St. W
  • Colborne St. W. to Angeline St. N
  • Angeline St. N to Thunder Bridge Rd.
  • Thunder Bridge Rd. to Trail Head

2. Ban operation of ORV’s on all City roads within the Town of Lindsay saved and except

• Approved ORV connections routes
• Russell St. from Lindsay St. to Victoria St.
• Victoria Ave. from Russell St. to Wellington St. except during the period of the Farmer’s Market
• Cambridge St. from Russell St. to Wellington St.
• William St. from Russell St.to Wellington St.
• Peel St. from Victoria Ave. to William St.

3. Operation of ORV on any street in Lindsay not approved be prohibited unless travelling directly to or returning from approved routes.

4. Require all operators of ORV’s within the Town of Lindsay to possess a valid KATVA or Affiliate membership

Please see below for the top ten frequently asked questions about off road vehicle use in Kawartha Lakes:

1) I’m worried about children running up and down the street on their ORVs.
Rules for road use for ORVs are covered under Reg. 316/03 of the Highway Traffic Act. As a minimum, the driver of an off-road vehicle must hold a valid Class A, B, C, D, E, F, G, G2, M or M2 driver’s licence while operating on any road in Ontario. Children are not legally allowed to operate an ORV on any road including unmaintained and unassumed roads in Ontario.

2) If someone has an accident who’s liable.
To legally operate an ORV on a trail or road in Ontario it must be plated and insured the same as a car or truck would be and an accident would be investigated in the same manner.

3) ORV’s are noisy and will upset the tranquility of my neighbourhood
Legal, (non-modified) ORV’s are no louder than some cars, trucks or motorcycles on the roads today.

4) ORVs travel way too fast and are dangerous
ORV’s are required to follow strict guidelines under HTA 316/03 with regard to speed limits on roads or they can be charged.

The off-road vehicle shall not be driven at a rate of speed greater than

a) 20 kilometres per hour, if the speed limit established under the Act for that part of the highway is not greater than 50 kilometres per hour; or

b) 50 kilometres per hour, if the speed limit established under the Act for that part of the highway is greater than 50 kilometres per hour.

Since 2007 ORVs have been allowed to operate on the VRTC and in the Somerville Forest in the City of Kawartha Lakes, and we are not aware of any serious injuries as a result of an ORV accident.

5) ORVs travel way too slow, are slow and will impede traffic
Same response as above, they have to follow the speed limits just as any other vehicles does. Where it’s safe for them they must travel on the shoulder of the road in the same direction as the traffic.

6) Do you feel that ORV should operate within a time frame? (example 8am to 8pm)
Yes, the committee will be recommending that that ORV use is prohibited between 9:30pm and 7am.

7) Can you carry a passenger on an ORV if you are on a road allowance?
You can carry a passenger on a road allowance, both open and closed:

• If the ORV is designed by the manufacturer to carry passengers
• If the passenger is a minimum of 8 years of age
• If the operator and passenger are wearing an approved helmet
• If the municipality allows ORVs on the road allowance
• If all other criteria under HTA Reg. 316/03 are met for operating an ORV on a road.

8) Should the Trail system remain open and closed as the current time frame only? (May1st to Dec 1st)
Yes there is no need to change the dates for the trails.

9) Will the routes only be used to access trails and not used as transportation?
Yes, that’s correct, they are to provide trail to trail connectivity.

10) What kind of proactive enforcement do you see to create safe and legal trails?
The trails in the City of Kawartha Lakes are patrolled by municipal bylaw officers, OPP officers including the OPP Save team, and by members of the Kawartha ATV Association trail patrol team. KATVA trail patrol team is made up of over 30 volunteers every riding season.

Kawartha Lakes – The use of off road vehicles (ORVs) is a very popular form of recreational activity here in Kawartha Lakes. Although meant to be driven on all kinds of terrain, current municipal and provincial legislation in place have put restrictions on the allowance of these vehicles across different roads within the municipality.

A decision was made back in October 2020 to develop a Task Force to review the current restrictions in place. The goal of the Task Force is to provide advice and recommendations to Council on the use of off road vehicles, including all terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off road vehicles (ORVs) on municipal roads. This includes reviewing the following items:

• Existing potential linkages for off road vehicles within the current trail network. This includes but is not limited to the connection of the trail system across Lindsay
• Recommendations on access to municipal property
• Recommendations on restrictions or prohibitions related to legislation of ORVs
• Public and stakeholder consultation through regular meetings, surveys and/or public meetings as deemed appropriate by the Task Force

The Task Force is made up of members of Council, Kawartha Lakes Staff as well as members of the public. The first meeting of the ORV Task Force was held on February 8 when Councillor Dunn was elected Chair and Carolyn Richards, President of the Kawartha ATV Association, was elected Vice Chair. The Task Force then discussed its first steps for reviewing current legislation and looked into developing educational content around important topics for ORV use.

“With recent changes in legislation and an increase of vehicles in the area, this Task Force will be critical in helping guide Kawartha Lakes in making safe and responsible decisions around future ORV use,” stated Councillor Dunn.

The next Task Force meeting will be held on Friday, February 19. The meeting is open to the public and can be watched live on our YouTube channel.

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