What you need to know:
- Mat-Su road board officials are pushing for tougher enforcement of illegal off-road vehicle use on bike paths, including increased penalties, vehicle impoundment, more signage and safety education.
- Conflicts between motorized and nonmotorized path users are increasing as Mat-Su grows and expands its pathway network. Officials and residents report dangerous encounters. In 2024, a Big Lake pedestrian was killed after being struck by a dirt bike rider on a path.
- Officials disagree over how to address the problem. Troopers and some local leaders support more signage and enforcement, while others say the borough should focus on identifying safe, legal routes for ATV riders rather than imposing additional restrictions.
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BIG LAKE — Mat-Su Borough road board members want the state to increase penalties for individuals who illegally use off-road vehicles on the region’s bike paths and to seize the vehicles of offenders as a way to boost public safety.
A resolution approved by Mat-Su’s Local Road Service Area Advisory Board this summer asks troopers to boost enforcement against illegal use of separated pathways, add new penalties that include impounding vehicles until completion of a safety class, review new signage and encourage public safety education.
Under current state law, individuals who use an off-road vehicle on a pedestrian pathway may receive a minor offense citation that carries a $50 fine, state public safety officials said last month. Similar infractions in Wasilla city limits also carry a $50 fine, while the fine in Palmer is $75, according to city documents…