Town of Potsdam, NY Chapter 247 Snowmobiles

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Potsdam 12-14-1971 (Ch. 90 of the 1986 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 247-1 Legislative intent.

The purpose of this chapter is to protect the public health, welfare and safety by regulating the operation of snowmobiles on public highways and places of the Town of Potsdam in a manner which will be compatible with the use of such highways and places for vehicular and pedestrian travel and other uses, and which will promote the safe and proper use of snowmobiles for recreation and commerce and minimize detrimental effects of such use on the environment.

§ 247-2 Definitions.

A. The terms, words and phrases used in this chapter shall have the same meaning as such terms, words and phrases are given in the definitions in § 21.05 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law.

[Amended 8-13-1986 by L.L. No. 1-1986]

B. Additional terms are defined as follows:

SHOULDER

That portion of a highway immediately adjacent to the right side of a roadway which is customarily used only for emergency travel and parking.

TOWN

The Town of Potsdam.

§ 247-3 Operation on Town streets or highways.

[Amended 8-13-1986 by L.L. No. 1-1986; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

Operation of snowmobiles on highways and public ways of the Town shall be subject to the applicable provisions of Title D of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law, the rules and regulations of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the rules, restrictions and conditions set forth in § 247-5.

A. Uncongested highways. All the Town-owned roads or highways of the Town are hereby designated as uncongested for the purpose of operation of snowmobiles on the shoulders thereof as authorized by § 25.05 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law.

B. Limited operation on highways.

(1) Emergency. When authorized or directed by a state or local police officer or a sheriff, a snowmobile may be operated on any portion of the highway for the purpose of an emergency as authorized by § 25.05 of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law.

(2) Access areas. A snowmobile may be operated on those Town highways approved by the Town Highway Superintendant and signed by snowmobile route markers for the purpose of gaining access to an area adjacent to such highways.

§ 247-4 Parks and other public places, excluding highways.

A. Subject to the restrictions and conditions in § 247-5 and the rules and regulations of the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, snowmobiles may be operated only on or along designated and marked trails of Postwood Park of the Town.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

B. Except as provided in Subsection A of this section, operation of snowmobiles on any other public parks and places of the Town is hereby expressly prohibited.

§ 247-5 Conditions and restrictions.

Whenever the operation of a snowmobile is permitted on the shoulder, roadway or inside bank of any Town street or highway or portion thereof as provided in this chapter or on parks or public lands of the Town, the following conditions and restrictions are hereby imposed to all such snowmobile operation:

A. Prohibited operating hours. No person shall operate snowmobiles on any Town highway between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., except that on Friday and Saturday, the prohibited hours shall be between 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.

B. Financial Security. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile on any Town highway or on public lands thereof unless the owner or operator of such snowmobile is insured against public liability and carries with him proof of financial responsibility, such as a certificate of liability insurance of the type, coverage and of the minimum amount as defined and required of owners and operators of motor vehicles by the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York. Such proof shall be displayed by the owner or operator of any snowmobile, upon request, to any law enforcement officer or to any person who has suffered or claims to have suffered either personal injury or damage to property as a result of the operation of such snowmobile by any such owner or operator.

C. Direction of operation. No person shall operate a snowmobile within the street or highway right-of-way of the Town between sunrise and sunset, except on the right side of such right-of-way and in the same direction as the highway traffic. Operation on other public places shall be only in the direction, if any, marked by appropriate route direction markers.

D. Unattended snowmobiles. It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator to leave or allow a snowmobile to be left unattended on any Town highway or public place, while the motor is running or with any key for starting the same left in the ignition or elsewhere in said snowmobile.

E. Obedience to vehicular traffic controls. Each person operating a snowmobile on any Town highway shall observe strictly all vehicular traffic signs and signals and all other rules and regulations applicable to vehicular traffic and shall obey the orders and directions of any state or local police or other law enforcement officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic.

F. Other restrictions.

(1) The operator of a snowmobile must be 18 years of age, except as otherwise set forth in Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 25.19.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

(2) The operator will not exceed 30 miles per hour and will yield the right-of-way to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

(3) When two or more snowmobiles are traveling the same route, they will travel in a single file, and head and tail lamps will be on.

(4) All snowmobiles operated on Town highways must be equipped with a suitable muffler and brakes.

§ 247-6 Penalties for offenses.

[Amended 8-13-1986 by L.L. No. 1-1986]

Any person committing an offense against any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a violation and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both, and the privilege of operating a snowmobile on the Town highways may be suspended or revoked.