All-Purpose Vehicles, like ATVs and utility vehicles, were legalized for street use in Alaska in 2022. Some communities opted out of the new regulations, but eventually Sitka adopted the new state law, after adding a few more local restrictions, like quiet hours, police inspections of the vehicles and a local permitting process.
Now APV riders want some of those additional restrictions rolled back. Specifically, they want Sitka to make manufactured two-seat All-Terrain Vehicles street legal. And they want more exceptions for the city mandated quiet hours. From midnight to five a.m. APVs generally aren’t allowed on Sitka’s streets.
Mike Finn is the president of the Sitka All-Terrain Riders group.
“You can ride a bicycle, skateboard, motorcycle, car, truck, or whatever with zero curfews, but not if you’re on an APV. Even without these two regulations, we’re the highest regulated riding group in Sitka,” Finn said. “Other communities and state law do not have those requirements of APV riders, and so tonight I’m asking each of you to vote in favor of this proposal to give APV writers a little more freedom on the Sitka roads.”
Several other Sitkans voiced support for the code update.
“I have personally seen how much of a positive impact that this has had for our community,” said Sheridan Bacon. “And I think it’s really important for sidewalks to be plowed in the snow time, and they’ve done a really great job of that. And it helps to keep our elderly community and our walkers and our bikers all safe on their route to and from.”
Assembly member JJ Carlson said she’d support the ordinance, especially since they weren’t going to repeal the quiet hours, just add an exception for rides to and from the airport or ferry terminal or when snowplowing.
“It’s not for just open hours for recreation at 2 a.m.,” Carlson said. “And I think that’s an important distinction, that it’s not just people going up and down the road for fun after midnight and before 5 a.m.”
Assembly member Thor Christianson, who sponsored the original proposal to make APVs street legal in Sitka said the changes were a “reasonable evolution of the ordinance.”
While there wasn’t any pushback at the assembly table, sponsor Chris Ystad said that the ordinance was introduced at the Police and Fire Commission meeting first, but it failed to garner enough support. Ystad said the sticking point was the allowance of a two-seater ATV, but most commissioners at the meeting (3) were supportive of trimming back the curfew restrictions.
Ultimately the assembly unanimously approved the updated code for APVs in Sitka. It will come before the assembly for a final reading on January 23.
