Citation

Gililland E, Robbins F. Transp. Res. Rec. 2007; 1989: 157-164.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In the past few decades, the availability and capability of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) have increased tremendously. On November 9, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service published a final travel management regulation governing use of OHVs and other motor vehicles on National Forest System lands. The final rule requires individual national forests to designate those roads, trails, and areas open to motor vehicle use. For the USDA Forest Service to designate a road to be open for operation of both highway-legal and non-highway-legal vehicles at the same time (motorized mixed use), an engineering analysis must be performed. When motorized mixed-use designation is proposed for a road, a qualified engineer must determine whether that road can accommodate motorized mixed use, mitigation measures should be implemented before designation, or designation would be inappropriate. The guidelines that will be used by qualified engineers of the USDA Forest Service to analyze low-volume National Forest System roads are described, along with factors to be included in the analysis, possible mitigation measures, and documentation for motorized mixed-use analysis.