Beaufort County Council defeated an ordinance 5-5 recently, that would have allowed golf carts on multi-use paths on Buckwalter Parkway and Bluffton Parkway. Earlier this month, the Spanish Moss Trail was removed from the Ordinance in the Natural Resources committee.
“My biggest concern is that someone will get killed unless we have safety measures before we pass this,” said Council Member Mark Lawson. “I have concerns about the road crossings, how to get around Bluffton Circle, and the handicap ramps are not designed for Golf Carts.”
In Beaufort County, golf carts can only be used on roads with a 35 mph or less speed limit and can travel no more than 3 miles. The golf carts must also meet all state laws to operate on state law. Golf carts are generally found within communities like Sun City, Downtown Port Royal, or Downtown Bluffton.
Council Member Logan Cunningham brought the proposed Ordinance forward, hoping to give people in the Bluffton communities on Buckwalter and Bluffton parkways the opportunity to use golf carts to get to shopping centers.
“This was something that the neighborhood I represented was interested in seeing, said Cunningham. “I had overwhelmingly positive feedback with over 80% in support, so it was something that I support.”
The Beaufort County Planning and Zoning Department cited Fayette County, Georgia, as the “most local and best example of best practices on this matter.” The Fayette County Path System Design Guidelines recommend 14 feet for any multi-use path that accommodates golf carts, cyclists, and pedestrians, two-foot shoulders on either side of the path, and an extra five feet in areas of high pedestrian traffic.
The pathways on Buckwalter and Bluffton Parkways are generally only eight feet wide, with some sections as narrow as four and as wide as nine, according to the county Planning and Zoning Department.
“It gives us the same connectivity and access to enjoy the same benefits that other parts of Beaufort County have,” said Cunningham. “To have that connectivity, if people want to drop their kids off at school using their golf cart, or if somebody in Hampton Lakes wants to be able to drive right over to the grocery store like public or Kroger, the movie theater, is important.”
Council Member Brian Flewelling also expressed concerns. “I think the difference between golf carts and roadways vs. golf carts using pathways is that that car has the mass and weight, and speed is that road is designed for them. Golf carts using roads are kind of like an add-on. When golf carts use pathways, the people who are pedestrians and bicyclists, they are the predominate user, and yet they’re the ones at risk when a golf cart comes at them.”
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