Above, and below, is a map of Marysville streets and shows a draft proposal of streets on which golf carts and other low speed vehicles would be allowed and where they would not. The vehicles are currently prohibited on all city streets. The Marysville Public Service/Public Safety Committee is working through a change in city regulations that would allow them on some streets. (Photo submitted)
City officials are once again exploring the option of allowing golf carts and other low-speed vehicles on the city streets.
Under state law, only licensed drivers may drive a golf cart or other low-speed vehicle and only on a street for which the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less. The vehicle must be inspected and registered and must have certain safety equipment, including properly working brake lights, head lights, tail lights, turn signals and a windshield.
In Marysville, mini trucks and utility vehicles are permitted on certain roads under certain conditions, but golf carts and other low-speed vehicles are prohibited on city streets.
At a meeting earlier this year, council said they believed it was time to reconsider allowing the vehicles.
Several council members have said they have constituents who have approached them about allowing the low-speed vehicles. Additionally, members of the public have on occasion come to council meetings asking to have the low-speed vehicles permitted. The residents said golf carts allow senior citizens and others with health issues to be mobile.
City Law Director Tim Aslaner has explained that the ordinance restricted golf carts primarily due to safety concerns for citizens.
At Monday night’s meeting, the Marysville Public Safety/Public Service Committee discussed allowing golf carts and other low speed vehicles on some streets. Public Service Director Mike Andrako presented a proposed map of the streets the golf carts would be allowed on and which they would not.
He said the vehicles would be allowed only on roads with 25 mile per hour or less limits. They would not be allowed on multi-lane roads or on congested streets.
“It would be just the neighborhoods, basically,” Andrako said.
Aslaner said that while current regulations allow the mini-trucks only on 25-mile-per-hour or less streets, they are allowed to cross streets with speed limits of up to 35 miles per hour.
Council member Deb Groat said she wanted to make sure there was no way to get the vehicles to the high school. Andrako said they would not be allowed. Officials said the vehicles would be able to go to the elementary schools in the village. Scott Brock, a committee and council member who lives in Mill Valley, said parents already use golf carts to drive their students to school.
Committee members asked about using the pedestrian bridge from Mill Valley to the high school. Andrako said the vehicles would not be allowed on the Jim Simmons Trail or on any other trail or path in the city.
Andrako was also asked where carts coming to the city’s Uptown or other areas would park.
“They would park at the same spot a vehicle would park,” Andrako said.
He said carts would be allowed in on-street parking spaces and in parking lots.
“They would not be allowed to park anywhere else,” Andrako said.
Police Chief Floyd Golden said he does not have a problem with the vehicles. He presented a breakdown of several other municipalities that allow golf carts on the streets in town. He offered a report of police reports, injuries and violations.
“It doesn’t appear to be a big problem,” said Council member Alan Seymour.
Seymour asked Golden to “dig deeper” and provide some research about crossing intersections as well as getting comments from other police departments about how the vehicles fit into the community.