You can’t do wheelies on dirt bikes and ATVs around Boston anymore. That’s because the Boston city council recently passed an ordinance making it illegal for any scooter, ATV or dirt bike rider to perform stunts including riding on one wheel and standing on the seats.
Apparently the parade of stunt riders had just gotten to be too much for Boston residents. Modesto Valdez told the Boston Globe in June that it’s even become dangerous in his neighborhood for kids to play outside.
“I don’t let the kids out in the summer,” he said. “The way they drive. . . . No one controls the speed for them. They go on the sidewalk. The people feel afraid.”
The new ordinance also bans riding these vehicles on private land without the landowner’s permission and would allow police to confiscate multiple scooters and ATVs stored on private property that is not part of a licensed garage.
The mayor of Boston, Martin Walsh, proposed the ordinance after observing three young men doing stunts on busy Newbury Street and harassing other drivers. Because of heavy city traffic, the increased presence of ATVs and especially scooters on public roads has become a safety issue for other drivers.
After the ordinance passed, a group of dirt bikers flooded Boston streets only to be met by police who confiscated 10 bikes and ATVs.
According to at-large councilman Michael Flaherty, ATVs and scooters have also become popular methods of transportation in the area for criminals who use them to flee the scene of their crimes.
