Wisconsin City Just Opened Nearly All Its Streets To ATVs And UTVs

Your side-by-side might be considerably more useful when the trail doesn’t end at the city limits.

ATVs and side-by-sides occupy a strange corner of the powersports world. We build increasingly capable machines with comfortable seats, big fuel tanks, fancy suspension, and enough accessories to make a Jeep owner nervous, then tell people they can only drive them in very specific places. Well now, Wisconsin Rapids is about to try something considerably less restrictive by letting people drive them on nearly every city-owned street.

The Wisconsin Rapids Common Council voted 5-3 on September 15 to expand the city’s existing ATV and UTV ordinance. Under the amended rules, ATVs and UTVs will be allowed on city-owned roads, with the notable exception of streets that overlap with numbered state highways. Mayor Matt Zacher initially left open the possibility of a veto, but ultimately decided against it. The city is now installing the necessary signs, with the expanded access expected to take effect October 1.

That’s a pretty big deal if you’ve ever loaded a side-by-side onto a trailer, driven somewhere, unloaded it, gone riding, then repeated the entire process in reverse just to get home. Connecting trails to actual streets suddenly makes these machines useful for more than looping around a designated riding area. A rider could leave the trail and head into town for fuel, food, supplies, or a hotel without first having to retrieve the truck and trailer.

Of course, Wisconsin Rapids isn’t turning its streets into a free-for-all. Operators will need a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance, while Wisconsin’s broader ATV and UTV regulations still apply. The city can temporarily close routes for construction, special events, hazards, and other situations, and officials plan to review the ordinance annually to see how things are working.