Well just recently in maybe the past 4 years i have noticed a drop in legal places to ride. I live in williamsburg Virginia home of the old and the rich, well i just happen not to be eithor one. The people here have pretty much convinced the state and local government to shut down any place for us to ride. Just recently some one wanted to open a dirt bike and ATV park in yorktown va which is right next to williamsburg but of course they couldnt get approval because of the old people and all the other jerks around here said that this offroad park which is about 20 miles from the closest neighborhood would cause way to much noise during the day. Ok so that leaves just about no place to ride except on are own property or some body elses property. These people dont want us to have a legal place to ride but there also the same people who call the police because we are stuck riding down the roads and on other peoples property because we have no legal place to ride. I dont like to trespass and ride illegaly on other peoples property but some times we just have to because there is no place for us to ride. like out on forge road were my good buddy lives he has about 75 acres total out there and we ride there and on the feilds and woods around there. No body really lives out there so no body really cares if we are on somebody elses land cause they will never no. But the way i see it, if we dont some how get are local and state governments to build us legal parks for ATVs and dirtbikes and other 4 wheel drives then one day there just wont be anywhere to ride. What is yalls opinion on like state of local owned ATV parks, dont you think it would be a good idea, like each state build like 20 places in each state. i think it would be a great idea and keep us riders out of trouble.

 

Steveo, I agree with you that there should be more public held land access available to anyone who wants to ride quads, dirtbikes, mt. bikes, etc.etc. However, it is a state issue, and most only see it as a headache/potential lawsuit in the works. The few pockets of ATV friendly areas across the US and Canada seem to enjoy quite a bit of prosperity, but state governments just don't see that for some reason. For starters though, you can do your part by NOT riding illegally, down the road or otherwise. It is to easy to turn someone off to our sport that would otherwise care less when you are breaking the law/trespassing. Ya just never know when that landowner is going to get pissed because you cut a few doughnuts on his property is going to run for local or state government!

 

You are too nice Scooter... Steveo, I live in VA myself.. and I understand your frustration with lack of LOCAL riding areas... but those of us up North have gotten use to teh idea that we have to trailer it to ride. You had better learn that lesson too. As for riding in your area on land that "Nobody uses", that is your point of view I guess. If you don't own it, you shouldn't be there. Many farmers fields look to be unused, but in many cases that may be for a reason. IN addition, as Scooter said, the liability of letting people onto their property is immense.. then there is th eold fashioned idea of ASKING FIRST. It is just a common courtesy. Ask yourself this... what benefit is there in it for the owner?

I fully understand the ""old" peoples point of view too. Yes you are living in a rich area of the nation.. They worked hard to get there, earned their rights to have peace and quiet, and th elast thing they want is to have some kid blasting up and down the roads and breaking their silence. GOT LOUD PIPES??? think about the damage they might be doing to the industry as a whole... people do get pissed off over them, and they have every right to complain... sorry if that inconveniences you..

Now for the riding... You are in a few hours drive of many riding areas. There is a club in Richmond that has several riding areas available to club members around the state. There are several areas in North Carolina not too far form you as well. One just accross the 301 bridge in Maryland... and the state has a few public areas to the West of you. The problem is that you want to fire it up in teh garage and ride off into the woods and that just isn't going to happen. Perhaps you will need to get a higher paying job so you can afford to have a cabin in the woods somewhere next to one of these riding trails to do that....

The problem isn't that the state doesn't have anything available, the problem is you want it all, and right out your back door.

The State of VA has ignored the issue for the most part. I have been trying to convince the governors office that the state needs to do more... but what we get is the same complaints that hooligans are out here damaging private property, riding on roads and causing accidents, using loud pipes etc... now you try and convince the state representatives that they should ignore the complaints of their citizens and support your request just because you want it. It doesn't work that way my friend. It is all connected... and acting in a responsible way is the start.. and the key!

 

i said it before and i will say it again ALL OLD TREE HUGGIN HIPPIES MOVE TO FLORIDA TO DIE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE and my appologies to all florida atv enthusiests but if this happens you will have plenty of land out of your own state to ride in actually lets fence off rhode island nobody goes there purposely anyways and we can put all the child molestors and rapists and everyone on the petifile in there that is my plan for a perfect america [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] btw is there much land to ride on atv's in rhode island? cause i don't wanna sacrifice anything. so remember in 2008 vote for weez440 for president actually me as vice and dragginbutt as president he is better at public relations

 

Golly Weez.. that is not a very nice thing to wish on anyone... I wouldn't want the job... too honest.. and can't lie to a person's face.. wouldn't make a good President... I'd be caught in the middle trying to please everyone and making peace.. and end up being eaten alive.

I know you are probably too young to remember it, but Jimmy Carter went through 4 years of pure hell because he was just an honest farm boy who looked for the good in everyone.... The man had the most integrity of any man on the face of this Earth next to my father, but was a weak president because of it.. and people will only remember the bad stuff.. not the humanitarian that he was. I have to admit I was critical of his leadership... then as I got older, and much wiser, I see now that his idealism is what the world needs more of now.. not the radical crap we see around the world today.

Besides, I am trying to escape Washington DC... the Cesspool of America... Talk about a den of thieves... You have no idea my friend...

 

i wouldn't wish that upon you DB but i do think we need some honest people in office. (not going to get into the current politics) all i know is we need a change and people from our side that isn't afraid to stand up and say wait one gosh darn minute here (i really hate having to do the censoring thing) this is not gonna fly and well i guess i wouldn't blame ya for wanting to get away from DC i like my laid back lifestyle to go fishing and fourwheeling and hunting basically whenever i get an urge to. but i guess i also have to make my voice be heard and keep up on the current events of these situations so that my kids can enjoy them as well. and i can't remember jimmy carter at all and i believe harry truman was also i guess you could say someone that lived a simpler life as well but if it takes corrupt people to run our country what have we let happen to it? our founding forefathers would be sick i am sure unless it was the same back then.

 

We had similar problem in N.H.. A landowner in Lyndonborough tried to open atv park and the state would of made it part of trail system. The town voted against it, partly because atv riders would leave their trucks and trailers in neighborhoods near trail and the land owner has had problems with the town in the past. The land is so expensive here that even land that is not desireable is being developed,because good land is being used up. The state wants to provide us more land,because they take in a lot of money from atv registrations. I was on the Florida trail riders forum and they also have same problem, some of it is riders riding in neighborhoods causing trouble.l

 

Well don't look now.. but that is happening all across the country... not just on the east coast. Land costs are sky rocketing. That is why I picked up 9 acres in Wisconsin 18 months ago. It won't make a large riding area, but big enough for kids to putt around on. And I plan of living to see my grandchildren grow up and ride that land some day.

As for making parks etc.. it is a tough sell with locals... and one reasons is exactly what you mention. People parking all over the place, tracking mud everywhere, noisy pipes etc make it a hard sell. It is hard to say how they went about it.. but I would hope that teh city would look at this from a business proposition perspective. Every riding area that I have seen established lately has proven to be a financial boon to the local communities. It brings riders who spend $ on food, gas, lodging... spouses visit antique stores, local interest places etc. All this generates tax revenue that is used to improve local services, while holding the line on local tax burdens.

Most people when confronted with the proposition of having an ATV park in their back yard will only see the bad stuff... and not see the good that is can produce. I would point out the example of the surrounding areas where the Hatfield McCoy riding area in West Virginia is located. With the coal industry in decline, their economies were well below the poverty levels... but since the riding areas were opened, you have seen a remarkable turn around in their fortunes... you see new restaraunts being built, new motels and B&B's to serve the needs of the over night riders.. You see tax revenues being generated on fuel taxes, permits etc.. in short, the riding area has saved the local areas...

I will make a prediction here... In the next 5 to 10 years, you are going to see in many parts of the country, the ONLY place available to ride will in in designated riding areas/parks.. and in many cases, these will be privately funded and operated riding resorts. Gone are the days where we can just fire it up in the garage and putt around locally... If they are not gone, it is just a matter of time.

But remember this... irresponsible behavior will only hasten this loss of riding areas... this used to be something that people would say could never happen.. well, it has once before, and it can again if we let it.

 

No disrespect meant whatsoever here, Stevo...yet I've been fighting a group of Detroit suburbanites for over 5 years now here in Michigan who want the same thing. These guys/gals could care less about properly evaluating the system we have, <u>fixing</u> it or sustainably maintaining multi-use trails with the proper equipment. All talk is about how they can get "graders" for the trails nearest Detroit or how much "the entire state" is in dire need of a ***NEW*** riding area <U>right outside their back doors</U> in southeast Michigan. (we have 3,000 miles right now and don't even own so much as a bulldozer).
Strengthening economic impact through strategic partnerships around already established trails? Heck no!..."WE DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE ANY FURTHER THAN WE 'HAVE TO' AND THESE TRADITIONAL "UP NORTH" MA AND PA TRAILSIDE BUSINESSES CAN ALL 'MAKE DO' WHEN WE BUILD THIS NEW FACILITY!"

T-shirts, bumper stickers and who's going to bring the "weenies" to the next big ride....welcome to committed off-road club membership in 2005. I have honestly never met a more selfish bunch of people in my entire life....and true to their big-city attitudes....it is flat out impossible to shame 'em!. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

There's no doubt about it. This generation has absolutely no desire to fight for anything different and they have raised 'the next' generation to be even more apthetic. Like I've always said; we couldn't carry the jockstraps of some of these motorcycle and sled pioneers or look them in the eye with a straight face for what is happening (today) around us.

You wouldn't believe some of the guys I've run into....and they're (supposedly) the "involved" ones!