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Needles City opens 9.2 miles of public streets to off‑highway vehicles in first‑in‑state pilot
Summary
Needles City is running a pilot that allows off‑highway motor vehicles to drive on 9.2 miles of predetermined public streets (maximum 35 mph) to reach trails and businesses; lawmakers are seeking a gubernatorial extension to 2032.
Needles City is running a pilot program that, for the first time in California, allows off‑highway motor vehicles (OHVs) to use selected public streets to reach desert trails and local businesses.
Madison Wilber, a Fox Four News reporter, said the pilot opens 9.2 miles of predetermined city roads for OHVs and caps speeds at 35 mph. Officials and proponents in the segment described the change as a way for riders to avoid towing UTVs and parking trailers in vulnerable locations before heading to the dunes.
The pilot is limited to designated routes in Needles City and prohibits travel off those roads. Proponents framed the program as an economic boost: the reporter said organizers want visitors to park in town, visit local shops and hotels, then drive directly from accommodations to trailheads or the river.
Lex Henderson, identified in the transcript as an off‑road specialist in Fresno, said modern UTVs include safety features that make shared use manageable. "It has a reinforced roll cage all the way across. Extra tubing on the inside, we have retractable harnesses for the seatbelts," Henderson said, adding the vehicles are designed for high‑speed off‑road use and asserting that allowing street access could reduce wear from repeated towing trips.
The segment reported some critics worry about sharing city streets with OHVs; Henderson responded to those concerns by describing vehicle safety equipment and arguing reduced towing could cut wear on streets and trails.
According to the report, lawmakers are pushing the governor to extend the Needles City pilot through 2032. The station did not provide text of any specific legislation or a timetable for action.
The report also noted Needles City plans to spotlight the pilot during a 100‑year anniversary event on Nov. 7, when organizers will hold an off‑highway vehicle car show and rides to a park.
For more information, the broadcast directed viewers to the station website, kmph.com. The segment did not report a city ordinance number or a written statewide policy change; the program was described repeatedly as a local pilot.
