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Residents press council on OHV noise; staff says inconsistent OHV speed signs will be removed
Summary
Multiple residents urged action on noisy off‑highway vehicles (OHVs); staff said state code constrains different speed limits by vehicle type for street‑legal vehicles, recommended treating all street‑legal vehicles the same, and announced plans to remove inconsistent 'OHV 15 mph' signs within coming weeks.
Several Moab residents used the public‑comment period on March 24 to press the council for a clearer plan to limit noise from off‑highway vehicles (OHVs) and to request stronger enforcement.
"I'm here this evening to hear what the city council...are proposing to address the excessive levels of the noise, OHV noise," said Bill Agee (speaker 13), who asked for a timeline, enforcement mechanisms and a point person to oversee progress. Pete Gross (speaker 14) encouraged the city to work with rental companies and noted quieter electric UTVs could reduce community impacts.
Staff later briefed the council on legal constraints and operational options. A staff member (speaker 2) said a state/local code mismatch makes it difficult to enforce different speed limits by vehicle type when vehicles are street‑legal, and recommended treating all street‑legal vehicles the same. Staff added that the city plans to take down signs that read "OHV 15 mph" because they are inconsistent with state code and create enforcement confusion; staff said the signs would be removed within roughly a month.
Council members and staff discussed a three‑part approach — engineering, education and enforcement — and asked staff to bring back short‑term recommendations for priority corridors (Mill Creek, Fortease, 3rd South and 400 East). Several councilors urged an education campaign aimed at rental companies and visitors to reduce noisy driving patterns before or alongside enforcement steps.
