Westfield Borough – Pennsylvania Department of Transportation secretary Mike Carroll and Pennsylvania State Forester Seth Cassell announced the first designated All-Terrain Vehicle Route in the Shapiro Administration’s latest action to boost rural economies and the Commonwealth’s $19 billion outdoor recreation industry.

Route 49 in the Borough of Westfield, Tioga County is the first route approved under a new process where municipalities or regional organizations that manage trail networks can request an ATV route designation from PennDOT.

“Governor Shapiro’s focus on Pennsylvania’s economy, travel safety, and supporting Pennsylvanians’ freedom were drivers in PennDOT’s decision to create this collaborative process,” Secretary Carroll said. “Building on existing ATV trail successes, we’ve developed a way for ATV riders to travel safely and efficiently while supporting our rural economies. I look forward to supporting more growth in other communities across the Commonwealth.”

Proposed routes cannot be an interstate or multi-lane highway and must connect ATV trails or other state, local, or the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) forest roads open to ATVs, or business destinations for ATV traffic. PennDOT then conducts a Traffic and Engineering Study to evaluate various route safety factors such as traffic volume, speed limits, and lane widths. The new process was implemented following DCNR’s regional ATV trail network pilot(opens in a new tab) in northcentral Pennsylvania.

The 3,700-foot section of Route 49 connects previously designated ATV routes to provide access to the businesses along Route 49 in Westfield Borough. Signs are in place along this route to inform ATV riders and the public that ATVs are permitted to travel on the roadway.