Ban On Motorcycles Lifted

BAN ON MOTORCYCLES LIFTED

MOTORCYCLES ARE NO longer banned from Brockton, Massachusetts, city parks, thanks to a unanimous decision handed down by the Massachusetts Supreme Court.

The decision came five years after the American Motorcyclist Association filed suit to have the ban overturned. In its ruling, the court stated that the ordinance was “repugnant” be-

cause it conflicted with state law that guarantees access to public roadways by all motor vehicles. Lower courts had upheld the restriction on the grounds that the park commission could make its own rules and regulations, and therefore could discriminate between motorcycles and other types of passenger vehicles.

According to Robert Rasor, the AMA’s vice president of

government relations, the association plans to work with the park commission to address the excessive noise and speeding concerns that prompted the ban.

“We believe that enforcement of existing traffic laws will be far more effective and appropriate than banning responsible citizens who choose to ride motorcycles,” commented Rasor.