The purpose of this article is to protect the public health, welfare and safety by regulating the operation of snowmobiles on public highways and places in the City 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.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them below:
BANK
A mound, pile or ridge of snow on the edge of a highway accumulated from natural snowfall or by snowplowing operations.
HIGHWAY
The entire width between the boundary lines of any way or place when any part thereof is open to the use of the public, as a matter of right, for the purpose of vehicular traffic.
INSIDE BANK
The portion of a snowbank immediately adjacent to the shoulder of the roadway.
OPERATE
To ride in or on, other than as a passenger, or use or control the operation of a snowmobile in any manner, whether or not said snowmobile is under way.
OPERATOR
Every person who operates or is in actual physical control of a snowmobile.
OUTSIDE BANK
The portion of a snowbank outside the crest thereof and farthest removed from the roadway.
OWNER
Any person having title to a snowmobile. If a snowmobile is sold under a contract of conditional sale whereby the title remains in the vendor, such vendor or his assignee shall not, after delivery of such snowmobile, be deemed an owner within the provisions of this section, but the vendee or his assignee, upon receipt of possession thereof, shall be deemed such owner notwithstanding the terms of such contract, until the vendor or his assignee shall retake possession. A person holding only a security interest in a snowmobile shall not be deemed an owner unless such person also has possession of such snowmobile.
ROADWAY
That portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the shoulder.
SHOULDER
That portion of a highway which lies outside the paved or unpaved roadway immediately adjacent to the portion of the roadway which may be used by motor vehicles.
SNOWMOBILE
A self-propelled vehicle designed for travel on snow or ice, steered by skis or runners and supported in whole or in part by one or more skis, belts or cleats.
The operation of snowmobiles within any public park or playground is hereby prohibited, except where posted for snowmobile use.
[Amended 12-21-2010 by L.L. No. 4-2010]
Snowmobiles shall not be operated on state, county or City highways except as specifically authorized under this article, and as provided in the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law of the State of New York.
[Amended 2-19-1985; 12-19-2000 by L.L. No. 6-2000; 6-21-2001; 12-21-2010 by L.L. No. 4-2010]
The operation of snowmobiles on public streets within the City shall be subject to all other provisions of this article, and to the following specific restrictions:
A. 
In addition to the crossing of streets at approximately right angles to gain access to other streets and other property upon which operation is lawful, snowmobiles may be operated only upon designated trails as provided in § 180-58 of this article, and also upon the streets listed in Subsection B hereafter solely for the purpose of gaining access to authorized and designated snowmobile trails both within and outside the City of Oneida.
B. 
The following streets within the City of Oneida are hereby designated for the use and operation of snowmobiles on the shoulder and inside bank thereof as authorized by the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law of the State of New York:
(1) 
North Lake Street, between Verona Street and North Main Street (Route 46).
(2) 
Williams Street, between the Penn-Central main line and the northerly City limits.
(3) 
Cobb Street, between Williams Street and Canal Road.
(4) 
Canal Road, between Schoolheimer Road and Cobb Street.
(5) 
Dump Road, from Route 5 to a point 2,700 feet south of Route 5.
(6) 
Stephen Street, between Lenox Avenue and East Walnut Street.
(7) 
Lake Road (Route 316) between North Main Street (Route 46) and Canal Road.
(8) 
Bennett Road, between the boundary line of Madison County and Harden Street.
[Added 1-18-2022 by L.L. No. 2-2022]
[Amended 2-19-1985; 2-20-2007 by Ord. No. 07-02; 12-21-2010 by L.L. No. 4-2010]
No person shall operate a snowmobile within 125 feet of a dwelling, unless traveling in a location specifically authorized under this article. No snowmobile shall be operated within the Inside District of the City of Oneida between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile on any public lands or places of the City unless the owner or operator of such snowmobile is insured against public liability and carries with him proof of financial responsibility in the manner prescribed by the Office of Parks and Recreation and of the minimum amount as provided in the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 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. Failure to produce such proof of financial responsibility shall be presumptive evidence of operating a snowmobile without insurance against public liability. Upon the production of such proof of financial security, such presumption is removed.
No person shall operate a snowmobiles within the streets or highway right-of-way of the City except on the right side of such right-of-way and in the same direction as the traffic. Operation on other public places shall be only in the direction, if any, marked by appropriate route direction markers.
It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator to leave or allow a snowmobile to be left unattended on any City 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. It shall be unlawful for any person to allow the motor of a halted snowmobile to remain in a running position for more than five minutes.
Each person operating a snowmobile on any City highway or street 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 officer or other law enforcement officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile on the public streets or highways who is under the age of 16 years unless accompanied by and under the control and supervision of a parent or legal guardian and in such event such youthful operator shall possess a New York state snowmobile safety certificate.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile into or through an intersection of streets or highways which is not controlled by a traffic control device, without first bringing it to a complete stop and granting the right-of-way to pedestrians and all other traffic.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile upon any sidewalk or right-of-way reserved only to pedestrians except to cross it at approximately right angles to gain access to property upon which operation is lawful. The right-of-way, during such a crossing, is granted to pedestrians.
[Amended 12-21-2010 by L.L. No. 4-2010]
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour within the Inside District of the City of Oneida.
[Added 12-21-2010 by L.L. No. 4-2010[1]]
Other than the operation upon the portions of streets authorized under § 180-48 of this article, snowmobiles may be operated within the Inside District of the City only upon trails designated for such operation by the Common Council and authorized for such use by the owners of the properties over which the trail(s) may cross. Such authorized and designated trail(s) shall be depicted on a map to be designated and titled as the “City of Oneida Inside District Snowmobile Trail Map,” which map shall be approved, and from time to time amended, by resolution of the Common Council, and as so approved and amended, filed in the office of the City Clerk. Prior to approving or amending said map, the Common Council shall determine that there is on file in the City Clerk’s office a written consent form, signed and acknowledged on behalf of each and all owners of property over which the authorized and designated trail(s) may cross, granting permission for such trail(s) to cross over their properties. In the event a property owner revokes the permission granted for the trail to cross over his property, neither the City nor the Common Council shall be responsible for amending the map, or correcting any City signage placed in relation to the map, for a period of 45 days following the date of filing of a signed and acknowledged instrument documenting such revocation of permission in the office of the City Clerk.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 180-58, Operator’s position, was deleted pursuant to L.L. No. 4-2010.
It shall be unlawful for anyone to operate a snowmobile on a street or highway in the City unless the snowmobile is equipped with at least one headlight and taillight illuminated at all times. Said lights shall comply in all respects with the provisions of the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law of the State of New York as they are enacted and amended from time to time.
It shall be unlawful to operate a snowmobile on a public street or highway in the City in any other manner than single file and as near to the right-hand curb or snowbank as practicable.
[Amended 12-21-2010 by L.L. No. 4-2010]
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a snowmobile in the City of Oneida which is out of repair, overloaded, or intentionally modified from its original factory condition in such a manner as to create loud or unnecessary grating, grinding, rattling or other noise. Noise of such character, intensity and/or duration as to disturb public comfort, peace or repose is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, and is hereby prohibited. Any operation of a snowmobile which has had any portion of its exhaust system modified from its original factory condition, resulting in an increase in the level and/or intensity of the sound emitted by the engine compared to the sound emitted by the engine in its original factory condition, is prohibited and declared to be a public nuisance per se and a violation under this article.
[Amended 12-19-2000 by L.L. No. 6-2000; 12-29-2009 by Ord. No. 09-05[1]]
Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this article shall be deemed an offense and the violator or offender shall be as follows:
A. 
For the first or second offense, not less than $50, nor more than $200.
B. 
For the third or subsequent offense, not less than $100, nor more than $300.
[1]
Editor’s Note: This ordinance also provided for an effective date of 1-1-2010.