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Public raises concerns about side-by-side use on Highway 35; county reads state-designated OHV routes
Summary
A resident urged the commission to allow side-by-side vehicles to use County and state routes to avoid forcing travel on Highway 35. County staff read the current New Mexico Department of Transportation-designated off-highway vehicle (OHV) routes in Grant County and outlined the petition process for additional routes.
At public comment during the Feb. 27 Grant County Commission meeting, resident Paul Foreman pressed commissioners about the lack of off-highway alternatives for residents of the Members area, saying access requires use of Highway 35 and that his side-by-side vehicle gave rise to a citation he plans to contest. Foreman said narrow shoulders and short speed-limit zones force dependence on Highway 35 and described safety and access concerns.
County officials responded during later agenda items that designated OHV routes exist by agreement with the New Mexico Department of Transportation and that adding or changing designated state routes requires petitioning the Transportation Commission. County staff read the state-designated OHV segments in Grant County into the record. The routes listed included segments of NM 35, NM 153, NM 211 and NM 293 in the cliff/Gila and Pinos Altos areas; staff said the designation process is multi-step and that speed-limit limits for state-designated OHV routes are constrained by the Transportation Commission’s rules.
Why it matters: Foreman and other residents said lack of alternative routes and narrow shoulders force side-by-side travel on busy state highways. County staff noted that some communities have separate bypasses but that the county cannot unilaterally designate state highways as OHV routes without the state transportation commission’s approval.
What the county said: The county manager read the current approved OHV designations on state highways (including NM 35, NM 153, NM 211 and NM 293 segments in Grant County) and said the county has an ordinance and a multi-step petition process to take matters to the state Transportation Commission. County staff said additions and changes can be pursued but require time, interagency coordination and compliance with state limits (for example, the Transportation Commission will not approve routes where the posted speed limit is 45 mph or above). The manager also said the county can post a map of designated routes on its website to inform residents.
No formal change to route designations was approved at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to continue reviewing requests and to expedite petitions if residents or groups propose routes that meet statutory and safety criteria.
