Bill introduced to bar snowmobiles from BB Spur Rail Trail; sponsor asks AOT to restore prior restrictions

An unnamed representative introduced H.894 on Feb. 17 in the House Transportation Committee, asking the Agency of Transportation to restore earlier restrictions and prohibit snowmobiles on the BB Spur Rail Trail. "Our purpose is to prohibit the use of snowmobiles on the DB Spur rail trip, and this is it during the summer months," the sponsor said, presenting slides and historical documents.

The sponsor described the BB Spur Rail Trail as about 3.75 miles long and roughly 7–8 feet wide in places, with several narrow bridges that he said make mixing pedestrians, cyclists and snowmobiles unsafe. "We contend that the trail is not safe for pedestrians and snowmobilers together on such a small path," he told the panel, citing shared-use-path design guidance that recommends 10–12-foot widths for standard two-way shared facilities.

The sponsor told members the trail was created about 25 years ago for nonmotorized recreation and that, until recently, motorized vehicles had been prohibited. He presented an Agency of Transportation (AOT) letter from the late 1990s that he said included signage language reading, in part, "motorized vehicles are not permitted anywhere on the trail." The transcript contains two date references for that document (09/30/1997 and 11/17/1997); the committee packet should be consulted for the authoritative file date.

The sponsor also presented community support numbers: a petition with 793 signatures opposing motorized access, with the largest counts from Newport (274) and Derby/Derby Line (153). He said Newport voters in 2024 accounted for about 14.18% of the petition signers; Derby/Derby Line accounted for about 5.67%.

Committee members asked whether there had been injuries or conflicts between snowmobiles and trail users and whether the property is subject to federal rail-banking rules; the sponsor said he could not confirm federal rail-banking status in the hearing and pointed members to the agency materials. One member noted that some other converted railroad trails are open to snowmobiles and attributed that to differing local conditions and federal arrangements.

Several residents and local advocates provided public comment. One constituent who lives on the trail submitted a written set of 28 recommendations opposing motorized use; another warned that once mechanized vehicles are allowed the trail could attract ATVs and frequent through traffic, increasing safety risks for skiers and pedestrians.

The sponsor asked AOT to review the change in access and "return the railroad straight back to its previous restrictions and only allow biking, walking, and skiing" on the BB Spur Rail Trail. The committee took no formal vote on H.894 during this session and moved on to other agenda items. The bill remains at the introduction stage; the sponsor requested agency review as a next step.

Provenance: The bill was introduced at SEG 006–SEG 013; the sponsor's substantive presentation and community petition numbers are recorded across SEG 014–SEG 116 and SEG 097–SEG 116; the AOT letter and signatories were discussed SEG 300–SEG 341; public comment appears SEG 300–SEG 406; the sponsor's closing request to AOT appears SEG 440–SEG 456.

Ending: The committee thanked witnesses and transitioned to the maintenance budget review; there was no vote on H.894 in this session.