Whitehorse city officials are promising to crack down on all-terrain vehicles and dogs running loose on the Millennium Trail along the city's waterfront.

This summer, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) users caught driving on the popular recreational trail will face a $100 fine, as will dog owners who do not pick up after their pooches.

As well, owners will be fined $75 if their dogs are caught off-leash along the trail.

"In the past few years, we've had some disturbing trends that we've noticed in our little city. We've got concerns with dogs, we've got concerns with ATVs," Mayor Bev Buckway told reporters on Thursday.

"We've been explaining the bylaws, and now it's time to take action. So we're looking at a significant increase in the number of tickets that are going to be issued."

Hundreds could be fined

Senior bylaw officer Dave Pruden estimates hundreds of people will likely get fined this summer, based on the number of bylaw violations he has witnessed.

"They're saying, 'Well, what about that person over there? And what about that person? What about that person?' While we are dealing with one, there's three other ones doing it," he said. "You can only deal with one at a time, right?"

Buckway said complaints have been piling up over the years from waterfront trail users, mostly about ATVs and a large number of dogs running around without a leash.

"It's not only because of what the dogs leave behind and other people step in," she said.

"Not everybody is a dog person. Not everyone enjoys a big lumbering, slobbering dog bounding up and jumping all over them, or it could be just a small yappy dog barking around their feet."

Buckway said the city has conducted a three-year education program aimed at dog owners, but now is the time for enforcement.

"I think it will take only one ticket and they'll have their dog on a leash next time," she said.