Bethlehem could soon introduce a stricter law that would crack down on the use of illegal dirt bikes and ATVs on city roads.
In a unanimous, preliminary vote, Bethlehem City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance that would impose fines and consequences for illegal riders, and would prohibit gas station employees from filling the tanks of illegal bikes.
The new ordinance comes two years after Pennsylvania lawmakers allowed police departments to seize illegal ATVs and dirt bikes, aiming to deter prospective riders.
But Bethlehem police Chief Michelle Kott said more measures are needed in Bethlehem. The department has investigated seven illegal dirt bike-related accidents since 2022.
“The menace of illegal dirt bikes and ATVs is not merely a minor inconvenience but a serious threat to public safety and community well-being,” Kott said.
The ordinance reaffirms what is already written in state law, but Kott said having a city law on the books that explicitly lays out the consequences of illegal use makes those rules easier to enforce. Kott worked on the ordinance with Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta, who also testified in support of it Tuesday.
“I think it’s a good ordinance, it’s permitted by the [state] vehicle code,” Baratta said.
The new ordinance, if approved, would impose a $50-$200 fine for a first offense and $100-$300 for subsequent offenses. Kott said Bethlehem officers would also use “discretion” when deciding whether or not to seize a vehicle being driven illegally.
“They utilize their discretion not to cite him, but rather to educate him even before it gets to that forfeiture hearing,” Kott said, describing a situation where officers gave a warning to a man who did not know his bike was illegal to ride in the city.
The ordinance also would make it illegal for gas station employees to sell gasoline for use in illegal ATVs or dirt bikes.
Kott said Bethlehem police officers plan to visit every gas station in the city to educate owners and employees about the ordinance. Gas station employees can call Bethlehem police if they see illegal dirt bike and ATV riders attempting to fill their tanks, she said.
City Council members expressed support for the changes.
“It’s definitely necessary,” Council member Grace Crampsie Smith said of the ordinance. “I know it’s a real issue, and there’s been a lot of complaints.”
Council member Hillary Kwiatek proposed adding snowmobiles to the list of illegal vehicles, and said the use of snowmobiles in her neighborhood is a problem. However, snowmobiles cannot be seized by police departments under state law; drivers can only be cited and fined.
The ordinance passed in a “first reading vote,” but council will vote again Sept. 17 before it officially becomes law.
Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.
