Sedona to implement Arizona’s first OHV speed limit after complaints

SEDONA, AZ (AZFamily)— Early next month, the city of Sedona will implement its first OHV speed limit, the first in the state.

It followed years of complaints from residents who said they still want to see more action from the city.

People living in the Broken Arrow area sit on the outskirts of town, surrounded by beautiful red rock. Their main street, Morgan Road, leads directly to the popular OHV track.

According to 22-year-old city resident Christine Adams, this creates many problems for local residents.

“The problem really started happening at least 10 to 12 years ago,” Adams said. “My husband was a former mayor and worked on this for 12 years.”

Stacy Shanks, who lives less than a half-mile from the start of the off-road course, said she has seen people nearly hit by overhead valve engines.

“They can’t see around the corner. They can’t see if there’s a pedestrian, so it’s definitely a safety issue,” Shanks said.

After years of complaints and petitions from people living in the area, the city unanimously set a 15 mph speed limit for overhead vehicles on Morgan Road on Oct. 9. 8.

This would make it the first and only speed limit for OHVs in the state.

This will come into effect at the beginning of November. City Attorney Kurt Christianson said it gives the city time to prepare.

“It will also allow time for community service,” Christianson said during the Oct. 8 meeting. “They will have signs ready. Thirty days will give the police time to increase patrols on this road.”

Both Adams and Shanks are happy with the speed reduction, but say it should have happened years ago.

Schank said overcrowding on the trail and area is one of the biggest problems that has yet to be addressed.

“And it won’t help when my driveway is blocked,” Shanks said. “They come right here, perfect location, and I can’t even get out of the driveway.”

Both said they would like to see a closed permit system limiting the number of OHVs traveling along the route each day to help reduce traffic.

“People should be able to go back there, but it should be regulated,” Adams said.

The OHV businesses, which did not want to go on camera, said they understand the community’s concerns and are disappointed that a few bad apples have ruined their reputations.

However, they don’t want this to open a can of worms and limit speed elsewhere down the line.

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