Beginning Thursday, residents in Mount Pleasant will be able to register and operate all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, on certain city streets under an expansion of the city’s existing ordinance governing golf carts and utility task vehicles.
The Mount Pleasant City Council recently approved changes to the ordinance, adding ATVs to the same regulations that have applied to golf carts and UTVs.
Like UTVs, ATVs must be registered with the Mount Pleasant Police Department before they can be driven on city streets. Owners must provide proof of Iowa Department of Natural Resources registration, carry liability insurance, possess a valid Iowa driver’s license, and pay a $25 annual registration fee. Registrations are valid for the calendar year.
ATVs operated on city streets must also display a slow-moving vehicle sign, a bicycle safety flag, brake lights, and the city-issued registration sticker.
Drivers must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license and may only operate ATVs from one-half hour after sunrise until one-half hour before sunset. The vehicles are prohibited from operating when visibility is less than 500 feet and may not exceed 25 miles per hour or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower.
The ordinance continues to prohibit operation on Washington Street and on Grand Avenue between Washington Street and Winfield Avenue, although drivers may cross designated primary roads at approved intersections. ATVs are also prohibited on sidewalks, in parks and cemeteries except on designated roadways, and may not tow trailers or other equipment.
Violations of the ordinance may result in municipal fines, and a vehicle’s city registration can be revoked for one year after two violations within a 12-month period.
The updated ordinance takes effect Thursday, allowing ATV owners to begin registering their vehicles with the Mount Pleasant Police Department under the new rules.