'A unified process': New ORV ordinance in effect in Van Buren County

A new off-road vehicle (ORV) ordinance is now in effect in Van Buren County, helping riders know where to go, and law enforcement know where they cannot.

“It's our way of working with with the county and with the townships to try and make the road system as or be friendly as possible," said Bet Witkowski, managing director of the Van Buren County Road Commission.

County commissioners approved the new ordinance on June 11.

According to Witkowski, ORVs are banned on all county roads — anything marked "CR." If any of the 18 townships or 11 cities and villages feel their CRs should be open, they can file a formal request for the county board to review.

“If it's a popular destination, if it's a road that people are going to use a lot to get from one side of the township to another without having to take three or four different local roads," Witkowski said, offering some examples of what might be exempt from the ban. “Some want to get to the gas station, to go to dinner. Those types of things."

This already happened in Porter Township, where roads, marked in purple on the southeast section of the map below, are authorized for ORV operation.

Van Buren County

Witkowski said some CRs will be banned no matter what, like Blue Star Highway. Local roads are always open to ORVs.

These changes are similar to what Allegan County passed three years ago.

“I think if this would have been three, four years ago, we probably would have taken a hard stand that no county road is going to be allowed to have an ORV," Witkowski mentioned. "But their director and I get along good, and I did ask him, 'Are there concerns that came out of engineering, which are very valid based on speed and safety and things like that?' They said, 'Yes, we had the same concerns, but none of those concerns have played out.'”

You still have to meet the state requirements to operate an ORV, which include moving no faster than 25 mph with a vehicle that has an effective breaking-and-throttle system, a working headlight, taillight and brake lights (depending on the time of day) and functioning safety belts.

State of Michigan ORV Handbook

Witkowski said the ordinance, while already in effect, will likely evolve.

During the first year, he said the county will allow updates every quarter. That will be reduced to once a year from there on out.

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