ATVs made their debut on Newport’s roads last week — months after voters passed a controversial ordinance — and leaders in the city believe things overall are working so far.
Jim Davis, an economic specialist with the city’s development organization, said he talked to businesses downtown Monday after riders first took to some Newport streets on Friday and over the weekend, according to city emails.
The Maplefields on Main Street reported more than 50% of the gas sold Saturday went to ATVs, Davis said. Wendy’s workers said ATVers filled its parking lot all weekend. And Tim and Doug’s Ice Cream at the Pick and Shovel store on Coventry Street saw the same, said Davis.
“It’s going really well,” said Leigh Curtis, vice president of the local ATV club that spearheaded the ordinance in the fall. “All the businesses are loving us.”
That was the goal, after all.
Throughout late 2019, city councilors tackled the question of allowing the vehicles on select roads around downtown. Advocates and opponents turned out in large numbers at several meetings to speak about the proposed route, which included some residential areas.
As in other Northeast Kingdom communities over the last year, debate in Newport centered on potential business boosts from ATVers and concerns about noise, traffic and safety.
After the City Council approved an ordinance Oct. 21, a group of citizens gathered enough signatures by the end of November to force a public vote. Residents in January decided to keep it in place by a 414–294 margin.
City Manager Laura Dolgin, who provided Davis’ informal survey results, said Thursday that she’s heard mostly praise so far.
Mayor Paul Monette and Council President Dan Ross didn’t respond to messages left seeking comment Thursday.
Newport Police officers patrolled the city all weekend to monitor the launch, said Chief Travis Bingham, and “they said, if anything, the ATVs are slowing traffic down.”
The rollout hasn’t been perfect, though, and some of the predictions opponents made during council debates have played out.
“The extra noise on top of the trauma of the pandemic is difficult,” said Colleen Moore de Ortiz, who in October was forced by then-Police Chief Seth DiSanto to leave the council’s final meeting on the initial ordinance.
One resident of an unapproved road said noisy ATVs woke her up early in the morning over the weekend. The woman, who asked that her name not be used given the controversial nature of the issue, said she later called police but the dispatcher couldn’t help because she didn’t note any license plate numbers.
“There are so many that just speed by,” she said, adding later, “I’m literally wanting to move from Newport now.”
Police received three complaints about riders between last Saturday and Sunday, according to department records.
Each caller reported ATV riders on streets not included in the Oct. 21 ordinance: Freeman Street, Prouty Drive and Bluff Road. (Part of Bluff road was later approved in a Monday change to the policy.) Two officers also noted on Tuesday that they saw a red four-wheeler come off Short Bluff Street, another unapproved road, but didn’t pursue it because they were in the middle of a traffic stop.
Pam Ladds, one of the residents who pushed for the public vote on the ordinance, made the report on Bluff Road.
“Two of them came barreling down here,” she said Thursday, angering her and other residents on the road.
Officers arrived within minutes, she said, “so at least in this neighborhood we felt taken care of.”
Police records show three officers responded to the call a little after 2 p.m.
The officers found two of the machines parked at a nearby residence. Both riders were properly licensed and registered, but were under the impression they could operate ATVs on unapproved roads as long as they were coming to or from their residence, the records show.
Officers gave them verbal warnings.
“I have given zero permission to anyone living in the city of Newport to access the trail from their residence if they do not live on the ATV route approved by the council,” Bingham said via email Thursday. “I have also asked citizens to call when the violations are occurring to help us make contact with offenders.”
He also emphasized in an interview that ATV riders should be careful they make the correct turn signal with their hands while out on city roads.
Leigh, with the local ATV organization, said the club was aware of the incident involving people riding to their residence, and he said people in those situations need to truck their ATV to an allowed road instead.
On the whole, Ladds believes the vehicles’ introduction to Newport has been good for businesses struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s certainly been pretty peaceful — it really has,” she said. “Other than the minor complaints, it’s not been bad.”
