EVERETT — All-terrain vehicle riders have new territory to roam, after the Snohomish County Council voted Wednesday to a vast expansion of the road network where people can legally drive them.
The vote was 4-0.
The change opens many roads in rural parts of unincorporated Snohomish County with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. They include most roads east of Highway 9, and some unincorporated roads north of Marysville.
Under state law, an ATV rider must wear a motorcycle helmet, unless the ATV has seat belts and roll bars or an enclosed compartment for the driver and passengers. The state requires safety features such as headlights and turn signals. Drivers must be licensed, and their ATVs need to be registered as well.
Last year, the County Council approved allowing ATV-riding in specific unincorporated areas between Sultan and Monroe, two cities that had already passed laws to legalize ATVs on some city streets.
Several east Snohomish County cities have passed similar ordinances to allow ATVs on roads with lower speed limits: Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, Darrington, Granite Falls.
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