Be careful driving in Moab in town!

timmbuck2

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From a Moab offroad group post on FB:


For those of you returning to Moab this year, BE WARNED!!!

The state of Utah has slowed all of the speed limits on highway 191 in town thanks to the complainers of the community. The entire valley has changed from north to south. Coming into Moab from the south, it now turns to 55mph at the Red desert RV park, near Rory's shop(Moab Motorsports). Then changes to 50mph at the old Spanish Trail arena. Then down to 40mph at the top of the hill by the Ford dealer. And it's now 30mph from there, all the way across town. Still heading north, it's 40mph once you hit 400 west, and stays that speed until you are over the Colorado river and past UMPTRA(the uranium dump cleanup site). And doesn't resume 65mph until you are north of Arches national park.

Be prepared to sit in traffic longer. Take longer to get to the trail or your meeting point. And also be prepared to see a LOT more enforcement. They're already slaughtering the locals who've been driving these highways at 55 and 65 for decades. Giving tickets instead of warnings on first offenses. Busy traffic times will have the highway at a stand still, so learn to use Spanish Valley Dr and Millcreek Dr as "go-arounds" to travel the valley north and south. It is also rumored that they will be adding even more red lights to the highway as well. First one going in at Campus Dr/Millcreek Ext. and Hwy 191.
 

BritKLR

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That's to bad, but predictable.
 

jps8460

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There are a ton of signs, but they were definitely out in full force this weekend.
 

rckhound

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Didnt see a single cop the weekend before.
 

mcgaskins

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Let's be honest here - no one would like hundreds if not thousands of loud vehicles speeding through their small town on a daily basis. Many of us have been going to Moab for decades, and we have all noticed an exponential growth in the volume, speed, and noise level of traffic going through town, and if I was a local, I wouldn't be too pleased about it either. It's disingenuous for people from out of state, like most of us, to complain about local efforts to keep streets safe, and the reality is better traffic lights (especially left turn signals) would actually help things flow better. Like Jackson said, they have plenty of signs and warnings up, so we should all do our part to be good neighbors while we enjoy THEIR town and keep the speed and noise down through town.
 

RayRay27

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"thanks to the complainers of the community"

This is a garbage statement by whoever wrote this. We are guests in their community and people need to respect that. Who cares if you have to drive 45 instead of 55. "Oh god" I'm gonna be stuck in the horrible Moab traffic all day. Get over it, Moab is only five miles long. It's not like having to drive from Fort Collins to Pueblo.

People who invade other people's community's or spaces then complain about the people they are invading need to take their asses somewhere else then.

Rant over.
 

AimCOTaco

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Yeah, I went through a couple weeks ago an noticed the new limits (N-S on 191) but there was no missing the new signage on the way in. Did not get snagged.

I find the tough part is heading out of town to the south. I'm trying to be nice and not flag my out of state plates around but the locals are ready to hit 70 before OSTA, can't blame them.

I always slow down in towns and neighborhoods out of respect for the locals but I'll open the valve and push a good head of steam on the highway.
 

IoN6

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I always get a chuckle when someone is riding my ass as I roll through a neighborhood, only to watch them turn onto a side street or into their driveway. Impossible to reason with someone who shits where they eat/live.
 
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DaveInDenver

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We had a cyclist-vehicle accident here this week, the cyclist was killed.

There's plenty of locally grown jerks but it's almost too easy to predict a California plate or a sticker from a Denver car dealer on the person weaving in traffic, driving like they're on their commute.

So, yes, slow down and chill the heck out. You're on vacation and people live in these places.

BTW, it's not just vehicles, there also entitled MTBs visitors, more on trails but same difference. When you visit you're a guest of the locals, treat them with respect, be the person you'd like them to be if they were in your neighborhood, around your school kids, whatever.

We were also passing through Moab 2/14-2/17. There's enough traffic already and you have to be alert for vehicle merging and exiting, people crossing that you should slow down anyway. With spring break right around the corner and tourista season looming it's only gonna get more crazy.

You guys may not realize but the town asked Utah DOT to make the speed through town 25 MPH but they can't do that on UT191. The lowest allowable speed limit on a state highway is 30 MPH. There are future phases to the traffic control UDOT I heard was planning, like flashing crosswalks and bulb-outs for pedestrians.
 
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J Kimmel

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In Glenwood it’s nuts. 82 is a racetrack. I drive 5 miles a day each way on 70, I get in the slow lane and do the speed limit, it’s not worth it. You can be going 80 in a 65 through the canyon and someone is riding your ass. All to get off at the same exit.
 

NotyourmomsWife

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Keela and I were there this weekend lots of new signage, traffic wasn’t bad things moved super smooth through town, also noticed they had big trucks rerouted away from going through the main drag.
 

Crash

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Keela and I were there this weekend lots of new signage, traffic wasn’t bad things moved super smooth through town, also noticed they had big trucks rerouted away from going through the main drag.
Rerouting truck traffic would be great. Can't imagine where they were being directed though? Could you tell where they were going?
 

DaveInDenver

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Rerouting truck traffic would be great. Can't imagine where they were being directed though? Could you tell where they were going?
Years ago they wanted to make 400E a bypass but that never materialized. It's seems like they're trying to encourage traffic on 100W but I don't see how a tractor-trailer could negotiate that. Friday the 14th and Monday the 17th trucks were going down Main. Dunno.
 

Beach Boy

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Please don't tell everyone to head to Spanish Valley or other back roads. Its busy enough as it is, and we don't need more traffic through our neighborhoods.
 

NotyourmomsWife

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Rerouting truck traffic would be great. Can't imagine where they were being directed though? Could you tell where they were going?
Not really and it didn’t seem the big trucks were obeying nor did it seem to be enforced. But they most definitely were enforcing the new speed limits we saw atleast 1-2 people pulled over just about every time we drove through town.
 

Notyourmomslx450

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Beach Boy

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The county and the town of Moab has in the past looked at how and where they could reroute trucks through town, including drilling a tunnel on the west side of town. None was feasible, or the neighborhoods said no way so we are stuck with the trucks through town. Ever thought of why there are so many trucks on our highway? The only way north and south is I-25 in Denver to the east and I-15 through Salt Lake City. We are the only easy, non mountain access north and south in the middle.
I have heard there is one county in Utah where side by sides are not legal. The county of Salt lake where all the lawmakers live.
 

Notyourmomslx450

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I have heard there is one county in Utah where side by sides are not legal. The county of Salt lake where all the lawmakers live.
When we got one of our dogs from a guy near SLC (can't remember where) i saw SXS's running around on the paved roads. This was 9 years or so ago....
 

BritKLR

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