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Bill would let municipalities convert low-use roads to recreational trails with limited liability
Summary
A bill heard March 27 would give municipalities a third option between maintaining a road to vehicular standards or abandoning it: a "qualified abandonment" that retains access but reclassifies maintenance to recreational standards and seeks to limit municipal liability.
The House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing heard testimony on March 27 on House Bill 5960, which would create a "qualified abandonment" option allowing municipalities to retain an interest in low-use roads but convert them for pedestrian, bicycle and recreational access with a different maintenance standard.
Why it matters: Rising costs to maintain shoreline and erosion-prone roads, and pressures from sea-level rise and storm damage, have left some municipalities choosing between costly maintenance and full abandonment. Supporters said a…
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