ATV group calls on Nova Scotia to move on promised road plan
Aya Al-Hakim | CBC News | Posted: September 3, 2018 9:00 AM | Last Updated: September 3, 2018
'As time goes on we just simply keep getting pushed further and further out,' says Barry Barnet
The head of the All Terrain Vehicle Association of Nova Scotia is frustrated the province has been slow to implement a long-planned project that would allow off-highway vehicle users to ride along the shoulder of the road in nine specific locations.
The Share the Road OHV Pilot Project was announced over 16 months ago, after the ATV association, which helps build and maintain trails, first brought the idea to government seven years ago.
"We truly believe we have political support," said Barry Barnet, the group's executive director. "Initially, we were expecting this to be in place by fall of last year, and as time goes on we just simply keep getting pushed further and further out."
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation said several pilot projects providing additional access for off-highway vehicles to certain parts of the right-of-way are expected to roll out this fall.
But Barnet said his group is skeptical because it was told the work would be done last year, and it's worried another fall will come and go without the new regulations being put in place.
It is currently illegal for ATV and snowmobile riders to operate on the shoulder of the road to get to certain areas. The pilot program aims to change that in nine communities, including Amherst, Weymouth and Porters Lake.
The ATV association contributes nearly $1 million in trail projects across Nova Scotia, but still struggles to develop an interconnected trail network, largely due to barriers such as rivers and roads.
"What we've asked government for is the permission to use existing infrastructure, like the shoulder of the road, to enable us, ATV riders, to connect without having us to build additional bridges," Barnet said.
Helping OHV users access services
Many do drive illegally on the side of roads, he said, but enforcement officers "turn a blind eye because they do it in a responsible manner." Still, there's a risk of a "substantial fine."
In permitting off-highway vehicle users to use existing infrastructure, riders would be able to more easily access local businesses such as restaurants, gas stations and hotels.
Barnet said it will also help businesses, like Walton Pub and Eatery, which sits on the shore of the Walton River in Hants County. It is cut off from the trail network, forcing many riders to leave their vehicles unattended or drive illegally.
Other jurisdictions like Ontario and New Brunswick already have similar programs to help ATVers and snowmobilers.