The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Back in the fall of 2010, the Dayton City Council and many city residents had a contentious debate over whether to allow limited use of off-road vehicles on some city streets. In the end, in a split vote, the council decided to kill the proposal.

As we report on the front page this week, the issue is back on the council’s to-do list. But a lot has changed in five years.

In 2013, the Washington State Legislature created a new category of vehicle, called a WATV, or wheeled all-terrain vehicle. The new law includes a process by which off-road vehicle owners can license their vehicles for street use.

The Washington Department of Motor Vehicles will now issue a special tag for ORVs that meet special operational and safety requirements. These requirements are similar to those for street-legal motorcycles, and include such things as headlights that are always on, taillights, turn signals, mirrors, horn and muffler.

In addition, WATV operators must wear a helmet and ride on roads with a speed limit of 35 MPH or less.

The new state law also requires municipalities to establish local ordinances to allow WATV use within their boundaries. This is the step Dayton is working on.

Back in 2010, when Dayton was considering ORV use on city streets, this state licensing structure didn’t exist. The ordinance proposed then would apply to any ORV, and the city wasn’t really in a position to establish and enforce safety and operating regulations.

The new state rules give the city’s ordinance the teeth it needs. Under the current Dayton proposal, any ORVs operated on the city’s streets would have to have a state tag from the DMV and operate under guidelines of the 2013 law.

The Touchet Valley is just the kind of area that the state’s 2013 law was set up for. Our region is teeming with great places to ride off road, many close to town.

Soon, people who live in Dayton will be able to ride to the trails on vehicles that are safe and properly equipped, without having to load them on a truck or trailer. And visitors staying in our local hotels can do the same.

The Dayton City council is moving in the right direction with its WATV ordinance, and I hope they will pass it soon.