UTVs will soon be legal in Ankeny; more parking coming to Uptown, too
Ankeny is set to become the first community among its local peers to allow UTVs on city streets after the City Council signed off Monday.
The council voted to give final approval to a new ordinance that will allow people to ride off-road utility task vehicles, which ride like a car: motorized vehicles, with bucket or bench seats and a steering wheel or control levers, that are not meant to be straddled by the operator.
Last year, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill that standardized rules for UTVs — as well as ATVs, or all-terrain vehicles that operators straddle and have handlebars — across all 99 counties in Iowa, with several restrictions and safety requirements, like requiring headlights, limiting speeds to 35 mph and restricting their use on interstate highways. However, cities could still set their own rules, and UTVs remained illegal in Ankeny.
More: Ankeny students add a pop of color to Uptown with a new mural on the Leaning Tower of Pizza
Off-road vehicle enthusiasts have spoken in support of the change, saying they are committed to safety. They have said the change would improve the way they enjoy their hobby, including by making it so they can get out of town, ride in the country and head back home without having to pack up their UTVs in a trailer.
Meanwhile, city staff expressed concerns about enforcement and traffic safety.
When will UTVs be legal on Ankeny roads?
Ultimately, the council voted Monday to allow UTVs on city streets with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. That includes roads like First Street or Delaware Avenue, where the speed limit is in the right range, but it does not include Oralabor Road or Ankeny Boulevard, which are state highways.
UTV drivers will still be able to directly cross prohibited roads like those. Drivers need to be at least 18 years old, have a driver's license and follow the city and state's various safety rules and regulations. The change does not include dune buggies, go-carts or golf carts.
City Manager David Jones said Monday that the city still needs to publish the new ordinance before it takes effect, which could take a few weeks. The city will announce on social media when UTVs are officially allowed in Ankeny.
New parking is coming to Ankeny's Uptown
The council also voted Monday to move forward with a plan to add more parking spots to Uptown, Ankeny's historic downtown district.
The council approved a $190,000 contract with Caliber Concrete of Adair to complete the work, which will include adding about 25 new marked, diagonal street-side parking spaces across two locations: on the east side of Cherry Street between Third Street and an area south of Fourth Street, and in the 400 block of Third Street.
And officials expect more parking improvements in 2024. A 2021 study found where the city could place more parking spots in the growing business district, which has seen a surge of development ahead of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
The work will begin no earlier than July 31, after RAGBRAI rolls through, and the project must be done within 45 days. Work will not be allowed on Saturdays, when the farmers market is happening.
The streets will remain open to traffic, which pedestrians will be detoured to the opposite side of the street.
Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ankeny will allow UTVs on city roads following council vote Monday
