Wisconsin Trail Pass - thumbs down

[ddhanna]

IMO, the only reason Cap/Step (trail passes) was the chosen (by AWSC and politicians) solution for the revenue problem was because Governor Walker would not have signed off on the simple registration increase. No new taxes on his watch. He promised. But something needed to be done. I'm guessing most snowmobilers would have been happy with the simple registration price bump. Obviously, it was in AWSC's interest to cement their future via this crazy process. Yes, we have sent club memberships through the roof, but I don't see any increase in volunteerism. Beyond the sticker hassles, I don't feel residents should be forced to join AWSC (a lobbying / political organization) in order to get a discounted trail pass. Surprised somebody has not challenged that in the courts.

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they attempted it only a few yrs back in MN

WI law does not allow it.

 

[ezra]

WI law does not allow it.

nor dose MN but remember the people who want it make the laws

 

[Deleted member 10829]

We are finally getting a $70,000.00 bridge in our area over a bad swamp that we have been trying to get for years. I can't say for sure why, but the extra money must have something to do with it. It will save me lots of grooming time before the swamps freeze.

 

[renegade]

People should not blame cap step or AWSC. Fairly certain this is a Wisconsin DNR decision. I tried to get stickers in my hand at the AWSC office in deforest before Christmas and they were just as unhappy about the no printing as others on here posting about it. As far as cap step not working, we had record club members and record turn out for trail work this year. Maybe be a coincidence, but maybe not.

 

[soxfan3]

Imagine if you bought a car & the state did not give you a plate or a temporary plate over the counter and you had to wait up to 3 weeks to get it by mail. Just put a beacon on your car that says 'pull me over'. The general public would be furious. Same theory!

The fee does not bother me at all, as long as it is put to good use, by the CLUBS. Not to pay for additional admin, postage & such..just a complete waste.

 

[pirate]

Didn't make a copy of the online payment to carry with you till the stickers came in ? Thats all you need to be legal if you get pulled over with out a sticker . DNR can look it up to verify on the spot .

 

[sweeperguy]

....

 

[snirt125]

I just got back from a weekend ride in Wisconsin. I went to Hayward Power Sports Saturday morning and was able to buy an out-of-state pass on the spot. They printed out a slip of paper proving I purchased one and said the sticker will be mailed. I didn't need to provide anything other than my contact information and make/model of the sled it is intended for.

I got stopped by a Sherriff and he is upset as well about the change. In order for him to do his job now he needs to stop every snowmobiler and ask them for the sheet of paper versus seeing the sticker and waiving the rider along. He was adamant in asking me to email/mail letters to the state requesting it be changed back to how it used to be.

 

[ridindirty800]

I just got back from a weekend ride in Wisconsin. I went to Hayward Power Sports Saturday morning and was able to buy an out-of-state pass on the spot. They printed out a slip of paper proving I purchased one and said the sticker will be mailed. I didn't need to provide anything other than my contact information and make/model of the sled it is intended for.

I got stopped by a Sherriff and he is upset as well about the change. In order for him to do his job now he needs to stop every snowmobiler and ask them for the sheet of paper versus seeing the sticker and waiving the rider along. He was adamant in asking me to email/mail letters to the state requesting it be changed back to how it used to be.

Yeah getting rid of the printer system was a bad call by the DNR. I always used to just run to the office and pay the extra dew bucks have them print off my reg. stickers. When we got early snow down here this year I had not reg sticker or trail pass on sled while riding just a piece of paper in my pocket.

 

[blkhwkbob]

Yeah getting rid of the printer system was a bad call by the DNR. I always used to just run to the office and pay the extra dew bucks have them print off my reg. stickers. When we got early snow down here this year I had not reg sticker or trail pass on sled while riding just a piece of paper in my pocket.

Me too. If you ever find my wallet somewhere on the trail in Walworth County, it will be in there with all my other stuff, including cash...

 

[renegade600]

As a resident I find the DNR website less than easy to navigate to get trail passes, they need to make it one click access and not several pages of searching..... I also dislike giving my SS out over the net, which is asked for. Since my sleds are already registered, why "prove" who it is? One sled, one trail pass... if the sled is not registered, no trail pass.

Buying OTC is non-existent. Should be able to get a tag local, and not some paper printout you surely will be stopped and asked for.

I feel that the once a year trail pass is senseless. DNR should just increase the registration, make the registration a combination (2) year registration/trail pass.... what-ever happened to people keeping things simple and easy to manage.

Hope the cap/step goes bye bye......

 

[1fujifilm]

I just got back from a weekend ride in Wisconsin. I went to Hayward Power Sports Saturday morning and was able to buy an out-of-state pass on the spot. They printed out a slip of paper proving I purchased one and said the sticker will be mailed. I didn't need to provide anything other than my contact information and make/model of the sled it is intended for.

I got stopped by a Sherriff and he is upset as well about the change. In order for him to do his job now he needs to stop every snowmobiler and ask them for the sheet of paper versus seeing the sticker and waiving the rider along. He was adamant in asking me to email/mail letters to the state requesting it be changed back to how it used to be.

Or, the Police Chief could focus on "REAL" crime such as hard-core drugs like Meth etc. or Robberies that seem to be creeping from Chicago and Milwaukee northward. These are all problems that are reoccurring as far north as Appleton and Green Bay, WI and even Marinette, WI and need to be addresses ASAP.
I respect the Police and carry a "blue band" but we must prioritize our resources.

Bear

 

[funsledn]

DNR Web site is confusing and keeps running you in circles I figured out how to get it without creating an account and all the BS it was asking for. Several calls to DNR with no help, just kept saying we can't help you, you have to do it on line.
I got totally lost in their website trying to do it. Guess I'm no good at this online stuff. So......when you go to the "gowild.wi.gov" website the wrong thing to do is click on the "get started" This is all bad for us non residents. Wants you to create an account, wants social security #, are you a citizen....blah blah a. So I went to frequently asked questions, okay, found a link to non resident licenses, okay, clicked on that, a list comes up, I look at list, one at bottom for snowmobile trail passes "cannot be ordered on-line", ***. Really! What are we supposed to do.So after a day to cool off, got on website again, and found if you scroll to bottom and find where it says quick catalogue, no logging in , you are able to proceed. WHY ISN'T THIS AT THE TOP OF PAGE, RIGHT UNDER THE GETTING STARTED!
If it wasnt for reservations, would have been going to Michigan upACH=CONFIG]55490[/ATTACH]

 

[frnash]

… Guess I'm no good at this online stuff.

It looks to me like you're far better at navigating it than they are at developing/implementing it!

 

[funsledn]

I have more to this story of me finally getting my trail pass stickers on order. Make sure you read my post above with photo(the photo shows a pic of phrase that you can't order trail passes on line)

So after I made my way thru getting the non-resident pass purchased , it says "critical ,must print copy"

So I then realized, crap, I dont have a printer hooked to this computer!! If I don't have a copy, I dont have proof if my sticker doesn't show up before we leave!! So I took a picture of computer screen with my phone.

Good thing I took picture, I didn't get an E-mail saying it was ordered. So I called DNR again this morning, and told them situition. Can you look to make sure Trail pass went thru. She said yes with the Transaction #, but not with my name, Good thing I took pic.

So my only proof if I went to Wisconsin tomorow to ride, is showing the DNR that pulls me over a pic of it on my phone. This whole thing is crazy

Thank You "Judy" from DNR this morning, She was the one that after I explained everything that had went on she mentioned the Catalogue choice thingy without creating an account thing, at bottom of page.(little late for me lol) All other DNR were non helpfull.

My take on this... frustrating to say the least, I tried to do the right thing ordering ahead, my blood is still boiling, should have jus got stickers from some friends that had them sent to them and dont need them on their sled now that they are home.

 

[ezra]

just a quick fyi to MN guys and people who use our trails.
today the sleazy politicians attempted to steel our gas tax again .it was bill SF2 it was shot down but was attempted again.
U may recognize some of its authors I did and was sure to call . 1 more reason to join a local club to keep our lobbyist funded and up to date on info such as this as it is happening so u can call and be vocal .
I did invite 1 of these guys to our club meeting tomorrow to explain him self to his constitutes will see if he shows and if so what his excuse is

Good afternoon,

You may have seen or heard about the recently introduced Senate
transportation bill, SF 2. As introduced, this bill would gut the gas
tax going to the recreation dedicated accounts and devastate the
programs. There is no House bill.

Doug Franzen met today with Senate Majority Leader Gazelka and Rep.
Torkelson, Chair of the House Transportation Finance Committee and both
have said they are not comfortable with this proposal which is good for
us. Doug will be meeting with Sen. Newman, Chair of the Senate
Transportation Finance & Policy Committee as well. The authors of the
bill are:

Sen. Scott Newman, Hutchinson
Sen. John Jasinski, Faribault
Sen. Scott Jensen, Chaska
Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, Big Lake
Sen. David Osmek, Mound

If any of the authors are your senators, feel free to talk with them
about the gas tax and snowmobiling. It is unconstitutional for gas tax
paid for non-road use (i.e., snowmobiling) to go to roads and the loss
of the trail system would be devastating to the economy, etc. Under our
present funding issues, if we lost the gas tax the grants would likely
be cut to less than half of what the reduced amount is.

More information will follow as it becomes available.

 

[misty_pines]

I ordered my trail passes the "long" way but glad you pointed out the Quick Catalog link, that looks a bit easier. On a positive note, more of the Wisconsin trails will be opening this week with the new snow!

 

[chicagosledder]

Michigan is the only way to go, to many bars and drinking going on in Wisconsin for me. Deeper snow and far better trails. Less hassle from the DNR as well.

 

[ezra]

I agree every one keep going to MI

 

[snobuilder]

So far cap step is proving itself as anti WI tourist...tourism is something Walker and the Repubs like to hang there hat on in WI....well Cathy Step seems to be asleep at the wheel in the dept of WI tourism if she is not all over fixing this BS system a snowmobile trail permit distribution. These folks don't ride and don't understand how bad they effed up a perfectly good registration system....por maybe all this hassle is to move towards the sunset clause actually bringing cap step to nightfall.