Tag: HWY 149

Hinsdale County’s avidly perused OHV survey, which was conducted for the county’s property andbusiness owners for two weeks extending from late November to early December last year revealsfascinating insights into a variety of OHV topics specifically and the county’s recreational outlook ingeneral.As previously reported, the survey was conducted by Rev. Jason Santos at the request of HinsdaleCounty Commissioners Hurd, Levine, and Borchers in order to gauge citizen and business sentiment onOff Highway Vehicle use in the county and to assist in determining whether the county’s special usepermit with Colorado Department of Transportation allowing seasonal use of a portion of State Highway149 to connect both ends of the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway should be renewed.As reported in last week’s WORLD, Commissioners have unanimously voted to continue the special usepermit program for an additional two years, 2024 and 2025, with a several-week reduction — startingmid June instead of Memorial Day and continuing until the end of September both years — in the timeframe OHVs are allowed on the highway. Based on survey responses, many of thoseresponding feel the OHV route on Highway 149 should be extended as an accommodation tobusinesses outside the current route and to reduce OHV traffic now passing through residentialneighborhoods in Lake City North, Riverside Estates, and San Juan Springs Subdivisions. Rather than itspresent termination on 149 at Mile Marker 70 at Ocean Wave Drive — which has become an entre’point into the above mentioned subdivisions — proponents of the OHV program have strenuouslylobbied for a north extension to vehicle wash facilities at the Toy Wash on the north base ofCemetery Hill and adjacent to both the entry to Hinsdale County Transfer Station and San JuanRanch Estates and San Juan Meadows Subdivision. Concerns on the north route extension are primarily vehicular, with no separate turning lanes at presentfor either the well-traveled transfer station exit or the San Juan Meadows and Ranch Subdivisions.Similarly, advocates of the OHV program have also suggested a south extension of the route from LakeSan Cristobal’s County Road 30 to Woodlake RV Park as a convenience for OHV enthusiasts at thepopular business The south extension would pass several private residential driveways, as well as thegated entrance to Weems Malter Placer Subdivision, before crossing the two-lane Dawn of Hope Bridgeacross the Lake Fork River and then accessing Woodlake Park at the base of Slumgullion Pass.Similar to the north extension proposals, concerns of private landowners have been cited if a southextension of the OHV route is considered.Hinsdale Commissioners are planning a countywide ballot question on OHV use in the county —specifics yet to be worked out —on the November, 2025, ballot, and at Wednesday morning’s workshopthis week, a discussion topic included whether results from the online survey might be furtherdelineated to separate responses which were received from property owners and registered voters.At Hinsdale Commissioners’ first-of-year January 3 meeting, Jason Santos explained specifics of therecently concluded online OHV survey, details to follow, Santos noting his contention the survey was“representative” but “not entirely representative.” As reported last week, 876 online responses werereceived for the survey which were reduced to a total of 770 after 76 ineligible responses and 30 duplicate responses were eliminated.Survey Specifics:GENERAL OUTLOOK: survey respondents were queried on their overall support of the OHVProgram, a 53.6 (379) to 46.84 (334) percent split responding yes, they would favor a renewal if theHighway 149 program as implemented or, no, they are not in favor of the present program; 66.48 (474)stated they are in favor of renewing the program with restrictions, 33.52 percent opposed; 83.52percent (608) stated OHVs should continue to have access to the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway.46.28 (330) percent stated they were in support of the Highway 149 program at its inception in 2019(other responses 25.53 (182) percent in the negative; 95 individuals who stated they didn’t have anopinion and 106 responding they didn’t reside in the county in 2019; for individuals who initiallysupported the program in 2019, 19.50 percent stated their level of support for the program has nowincreased, 24.26 percent cited equal support, and 8.84 percent less support. 99 respondents (13.88 percent) stated no support for the program.SPECIFICS: road conditions and law enforcement were specifically cited in the survey questions, amajority of those responding to the survey (43.83 percent, 316 responses) stating their view that theOHV program has had a significant negative impact on the county’s roads; 19 (2.64 percent) said theprogram has resulted in an improvement to county roads; 119 (16.50 percent), no impacts; 223 (30.93percent) moderate negative impacts. A majority (313 responses, 43.41 percent) responded HinsdaleCounty Road & Bridge Dept. is satisfactorily maintaining county roads (31.11 percent, 282responses not adequately maintaining); asked whether they would favor a tax increase to improvecounty road maintenance, a majority, 48.40 percent (349) said they would not support a tax increase,compared to 34.54 percent (249) responding they would support increased road maintenance taxes.Asked for what types of vehicles were most impacting the county’s unpaved roads, a majority(47.02 percent, 339 responses) stated “all vehicles”; 303 (42.02 percent) blamed OHVs for deterioratedroad conditions, 13.31 percent trucks, 9.57 percent jeeps, 30.10 percent ATVs, and 18.31 percentmotorcycles.A majority in the survey, 298 responses, 41.39 percent, stated they feel Hinsdale County Sheriff’sDept. is not adequately enforcing OHV regulations and ordinances, this compared to 32.08 percent whostate the department is adequately enforcing, and 26.53 percent uncertain. A majority in the survey concerns on the north route extension are primarily vehicular, with no separate turning lanes at presentfor either the well-traveled transfer station exit or the San Juan Meadows and Ranch Subdivisions.Similarly, advocates of the OHV program have also suggested a south extension of the route from LakeSan Cristobal’s County Road 30 to Woodlake RV Park as a convenience for OHV enthusiasts at thepopular business The south extension would pass several private residential driveways, as well as thegated entrance to Weems Malter Placer Subdivision, before crossing the two-lane Dawn of Hope Bridgeacross the Lake Fork River and then accessing Woodlake Park at the base of Slumgullion Pass.Similar to the north extension proposals, concerns of private landowners