Wasilla too crowded for safe ATV use

We think we might have witnessed something somewhat rare in politics: a genuine shift in public opinion.

And it really didn’t take that long.

The last time the city of Wasilla made noise about the idea of banning all-terrain vehicle use inside city limits, we got an earful. ATV groups were upset at the idea, worrying that a few bad apples were ruining it for the rest of them. Others worried that Wasilla would lose something essential to its character if ATVs were no longer a common site alongside the road.

The move to ban subsequently died before it got very far.

So this time around when the city brought the subject up, we thought we’d hear a lot of the same complaints and concerns.

So far, we have not. All we’ve heard, actually, is encouragement for the city. Many people are apparently tired of the risks that come with using ATVs so close to such busy thoroughfares as Knik-Goose Bay Road and Lucille Street.

We can’t say that we blame them. It really only takes one, dry dusty day, one thoughtless rider and a line of rush hour traffic to convince a person why this is a bad idea. The dust even a single rider can kick up is a huge safety hazard to vehicles whose drivers are temporarily blinded.

We’ve also reported on far too many tragedies on trails in areas that long ago should have been closed to motorized use.

Of course, it’s very early in the process. The proposed change in the rules hasn’t even made it to the city’s planning commission. There will likely be more varied opinions expressed as this thing gets underway. And there will undoubtedly be those who speak in favor of keeping ATV use in city limits.

We hope they don’t carry the day, though. Don’t get us wrong. We love riding ATVs and snowmachines as much as the next guy. But we believe that the proper context for the enjoyment of off-road vehicles is not the commercial center of the Valley and the busy city streets that serve it.

We hope Wasilla passes this necessary ordinance.