Many lawmakers, business owners and residents are upset about the increasing appearance of loud, illegal all-terrain vehicles on streets around Greater Providence, but authorities have struggled to stop them despite the nuisance and the hazards to the public.
Cranston Mayor Kenneth Hopkins earlier this month announced an executive order allowing local law enforcement to arrest riders on unregistered ATVs and seize their vehicles, similar to a policy Providence has had on its books since 2017.
While Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza continues to emphasize this strategy as a way to get illegal vehicles off the streets – more than 200 have been destroyed since the City Council passed the ordinance – he acknowledges something still needs to be done about the seemingly ”endless supply” of ATVs zooming along the streets.
In a March 16 news conference, Providence and Cranston officials announced that the police from both cities are joining forces to crack down on the problem by sharing information, financial resources and personnel. They said they would continue to focus attention on gasoline stations where riders fuel up, sellers of ATVs, and organizers and participants of “rideouts,” large gatherings of ATV riders that sometimes overwhelm other motorists on city streets.
But the collaboration may expand to other municipalities, Elorza said. And a system to require registration of new ATVs was among Elorza’s list of 2021 legislative priorities.
“We need creative solutions,” Elorza said.
Sen. Frank S. Lombardi, D-Cranston, has introduced his own measure that would allow municipalities to designate certain trails or open spaces where ATVs, dirt bikes and other recreational vehicles could be ridden, subject to registration and rules about mufflers.
Lombardi acknowledged that the timing of his bill, introduced on March 4 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, was “not perfect” amid recent arrests and crimes committed by ATV riders. But he hoped fellow lawmakers would see his proposal as an opportunity to capitalize on a growing recreational pastime. And the community could benefit from the registration fees and other requirements, Lombardi said.
“Right now, there are thousands of people from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut going to New Hampshire to ride their bikes,” he said. “This is our way to get some of that back.”
Lombardi said his bill might face pushback from business owners, but he hoped the proposal would at least raise awareness about alternative solutions to a problem that doesn’t seem to be going away.
He also supported police efforts to get illegal ATVs off the streets, saying the thoroughfares of Cranston have become “inundated.” Earlier this year, a group of riders hit and injured a Cranston police officer on Atwood Avenue.
Cranston Street has also become a hot spot, raising concerns from area businesses.
Cranston manufacturer Taco Inc., located on Cranston Street, has been less affected than its retail and restaurant neighbors since few customers visit the office, said company spokesman Ken Watson. But the company supported efforts to crack down on ATVs, particularly for the safety of its employees who often share the roadways with those riders during their commute.
Asked whether he supported proposals to designate alternative places for riders to go, Watson said he was not familiar enough to comment.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Lavin@PBN.com.
