SNOWMOBILE OPERATIONS
House Bill 5582
Sponsor: Rep. Scott Shackleton
Committee: Transportation
Complete to 2-1-02
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5582 AS INTRODUCED 1-30-02
House Bill 5582 would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to allow for the operation of snowmobiles on shoulders of county roads and set their speed.
Currently under the law, snowmobiles can be operated on a county highway that is not normally snowplowed for vehicular traffic, and on the plowed right-of-way or shoulder when no right-of-way exists on a snowplowed highway. These conditions apply as long as the road is outside the corporate limits of a city or village, and it is designated and marked for snowmobile use by the county road commission having jurisdiction. Under the bill, the condition " when no right of way exists on a snowplowed highway" would be eliminated, and instead the condition "when no groomed trails exists adjacent to a snowplowed highway" would be inserted.
In addition, currently the law specifies that upon the request of a county road commission, the state transportation department must erect (at the county line) and maintain (at the road commission's expense) the basic snowmobile sign units together with a supplemental panel stating "permitted on right of way or shoulder of all [insert county name] roads, Act 74 of P.A. 1968." Under the bill, this provision would be eliminated.
Finally, the bill would specify that in the absence of a posted snowmobile speed limit, a snowmobile operated on the plowed shoulder of a county highway would be limited to the speed limit posted on the adjacent highway.
MCL 324.82119
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.