The Philadelphia City Council passed a bill introduced by
Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown on behalf of the Nutter Administration
related to All Terrain Vehicles. The bill restricts riders from operating,
parking, stopping, placing or standing ATVs on a public sidewalk or public
property including parks and recreation centers unless authorized by law.
The bill gives the Philadelphia Police Dept. the authority
to confiscate vehicles found to be in violation of the ordinance.
Alternatively, Police can issue a $2,000 fine if riders can prove the value of
the vehicle is in excess of $2,000. The bill gives authority to the Police
Dept. to dispose of ATVs, either by destruction or in a manner that prevents
vehicles from easily making their way back to Philadelphia streets.
The bill was amended from its original form to allow a
community-education campaign to advise ATV owners and riders of the new law. An
amendment also provides an exception for ATV owners who park the vehicles
outside their property.
Councilwoman Reynolds Brown has worked with the
Administration, Police Dept., the Philadelphia Parking Authority, community
organizations, private-sector business owners and citizens on all sides of the
issue--all of whom were in attendance at a four-hour public hearing on Oct. 3.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 521
deaths have been recorded in Philadelphia
from 1982-2010 as a result of ATVs; from 1982-2006, 105 deaths were of children
under the age of 16.
