SAUGUS — Town Meeting members voted unanimously to approve new rules and regulations for the town’s section of the Northern Strand Trail, commonly known as the rail trail.
Article 27, which proposed creating a section pertaining to the rail trail in the town’s bylaws, looked to add several important definitions, distinctions, and rules and regulations to the trail’s oversight.
“I’ve always been a strong supporter of our rail trail, and I know many of our residents enjoy it every day,” Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta said. “However, we’ve had some issues on our trail, including motorized vehicles traveling very fast.”
Of notable importance is that the newly added section designates “multi-use trails” as strictly for pedestrian use, outlawing the use of vehicles and devices with motors, with the exception of authorized maintenance vehicles, emergency vehicles, electric devices no wider than 36 inches designed for disabled people, electric bicycles, and electric scooters.
Any permitted motorized vehicle for trail use must also not exceed 15 miles per hour and yield to people utilizing non-motorized devices or vehicles. People using “devices designed for propulsion solely by human power” — such as bicycles and in-line roller skates — must also yield to pedestrians.
“The trail is supposed to be used for bicycles, joggers, skating, walkers — certainly not motorcycles or ATVs,” Panetta said.
Additionally, the section bans horseback riding on the trail.
The new section also prohibits the solicitation, selling, renting, or hawking of goods, wares, tangible or intangible property, merchandise, liquids, edibles, or services for hire, or rendering any service for hire upon the trail unless licensing is obtained.
Violations of this ordinance will result in fines of $100 for the first offense, and $250 for the second and any subsequent violations.
Panetta said that as the weather warms up, the Police Department will be gearing up its bicycle patrol unit to help monitor activity on the rail trail.
