GERMANTOWN, Wis. — Germantown has approved a new ordinance opening all village and town roads — as well as county and state highways posted at 35 mph or under — to ATV and UTV drivers.
Drivers born after 1988 must have a valid driver's license, complete ATV/UTV safety training through the DNR, and carry proof of insurance to legally operate on the newly opened routes.
Jim Schulteis, who lives on the rural outskirts of Germantown, said the new routes give him more options for practical use of his UTV.
"It could be useful," he said. "I use mine a lot in the ditch down here on the road picking up garbage."
Watch: It's a new era for off-road vehicles in Germantown:
But Schulteis said clearer mapping of the approved routes would help riders know exactly where they can and cannot go.
"Definitely a better map," he said. "The map that I saw on Facebook is a little hard to understand."
Tim Rohrer, president of the Kettle Moraine ATV Association, said the opening of the routes is a major win for riders in the area.
"All the village and town roads are now open!" he said. "As a club, we want to see people doing it the right way. We want to see people following the laws."
Rohrer said the association is working to update the Polaris app on smartphones so riders can quickly identify approved routes.
Germantown Police Officer Matthew Jones said the department is prepared for questions as the community adjusts to the change.
"We know that this is new to the community, there are going to be a lot of questions about it," he said. "We understand we may have visitors coming in unfamiliar with ordinances for it."
Jones said the department views the new ordinance as a positive development for the community.
"We want the community to be able to be enjoyed in multiple different ways," he said. "And we think this is a great way that they can do it."
According to Rohrer, with the change, Germantown joins nearly every other municipality in Washington County. He said West Bend is now the only municipality in the county that has not approved a similar ordinance.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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