Pennsylvania is building its first state park dedicated to the use of ATVs and off-road vehicles, and Allentown’s police chief said it’s a promising development.
The park, which will be about an hour outside the Lehigh Valley, is expected to open in the next two years.
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resourcesrecently unveiled a plan to create a park specifically for use by off-road vehicles and ATVs on 5,600 acres in Schuylkill County’s Weiser State Forest.
Locally, the illegal use of ATVs and off-road vehicles have been a significant problem in Allentown. There’s no land in the city where they can legally be ridden, and a regional task force recently stepped up efforts to get the vehicles off the streets.
Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca told WLVR that the plan for a park dedicated to ATV and off-road vehicle use is a step in the right direction.
“I would hope that individuals would choose to travel to Weiser State Park to ride properly and do so according to the law,” Roca said in a statement.
Noting that the park will not be complete for two years, Roca said people need a place to legally ride those vehicles.
“A city environment is not the proper venue for illegal riding of this type, where stunts/tricks are done,” Roca said.
The park in Schuylkill and Luzerne counties will be created through $700 million the state set aside in its most recent budget for conservation, recreation and preservation.
